Resp Care
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The need for delivery resuscitation of the newborn cannot be predicted in most cases; therefore it is judicious to train all providers who may be involved in the delivery of newborns to follow guidelines developed to improve outcome, especially in the presence of transitional asphyxia. The Neonatal Resuscitation Program emphasizes basic steps of warming, drying, suctioning, and adequately ventilating the newborn. It also addresses current theories regarding resuscitation of the low birthweight newborns, infants with meconium aspiration, and medication use. ⋯ The Pediatric Advanced Life Support course focuses on early recognition and treatment of respiratory failure and shock. The possibility of improving outcome with properly trained prehospital providers is a topic of interest. Intubation in the field can be successful and may contribute to a reduction in mortality, although complications of field intubation need to be reduced.
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Almost half of patients respond acutely to resuscitation but most die within the first several days after arrest. The incidence of survival to discharge from the hospital after cardiopulmonary arrest is about 15%; one third of those surviving have evidence of neurologic deficits. Although some prognostic variables are useful in determining which patients are most likely to die prior to discharge from the hospital, each patient needs to be evaluated on an individual basis and the various risk factors weighed carefully. ⋯ Coma, hypoxic myoclonus, and absent reflexes, while not useful immediately following arrest, are of greater prognostic significance 48 hours later. Only 5% of patients who are unconscious 48 hours after arrest will have a full neurologic recovery. The Glasgow Coma Scale has also been used for prognostication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)