JAMA pediatrics
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Cost-effectiveness of Antenatal Corticosteroid Therapy vs No Therapy in Women at Risk of Late Preterm Delivery: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.
Administration of corticosteroids to women at high risk for delivery in the late preterm period (34-36 weeks' gestation) improves short-term neonatal outcomes. The cost implications of this intervention are not known. ⋯ The findings suggest that antenatal betamethasone treatment is associated with a statistically significant decrease in health care costs and with improved outcomes; thus, this treatment may be an economically desirable strategy.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Epidemiology of Brain Death in Pediatric Intensive Care Units in the United States.
Guidelines for declaration of brain death in children were revised in 2011 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Child Neurology Society. Despite widespread medical, legal, and ethical acceptance, ongoing controversies exist with regard to the concept of brain death and the procedures for its determination. ⋯ Brain death occurred in one-fifth of PICU deaths. Most children declared brain dead had no preexisting neurological dysfunction and had an acute hypoxic-ischemic or traumatic brain injury. Brain death determinations are infrequent, even in large PICUs, emphasizing the importance of ongoing education for medical professionals and standardization of protocols to ensure diagnostic accuracy and consistency.
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Multicenter Study
Outcomes of Extremely Preterm Infants With Birth Weight Less Than 400 g.
Birth weight (BW) is an important predictor of mortality and morbidity. At extremely early gestational ages (GAs), BW may influence decisions regarding initiation of resuscitation. ⋯ Infants born with a BW less than 400 g are at high risk of mortality and significant morbidity. Although 21% of infants survived to 18 to 26 months' CA with active treatment, NDI was common among survivors.