Perinatal Intensive Care Units

From World Health Organization data, the prevalence of hearing impairment among infants varies between 0.5 and 3.0 cases per thousand, but in children hospitalised in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and in those with other risk factors (ie: anatomically small for gestational age, craniofacial abnormalities, intrauterine infections, family history of hearing loss, ototoxic drugs, mechanical ventilation , etc.), the prevalence is 10-20 times greater. Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be defined as an intensive care unit for sick newborns who need specialised treatment. NICU combines equipment and advanced technology with medical staff specially trained in newborn care. The Joint Committee on Infants Hearing (JCIH) identified many risk factors in NICU infants like prolonged mechanical ventilation, asphyxia, low birth weight and ototoxic medication, and so it also considers intensive care as a whole a risk factor. The present book focuses its attention on this hearing loss risk factor, starting from risk factors and screening strategies, highlighting the various neonatal levels of care, focusing on the treatment of infants with neural tube defects and the future motor development of premature babies. This should be done until caregivers can get the attention of drug therapies used in the NICU.

These guidelines provide a consistent definition of requirements for a number of special care units, services and programs in health institutions based on technological advancement to assist in planning and implementing programs and services.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition of Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing is a comprehensive, evidence-based text for nurses and midwives caring for sick newborn babies. Written by and for nurses, it concentrates on the common problems occurring within the neonatal intensive care unit. This user-friendly text will enable nurses to recognise, rationalise and remedy these problems using both a multi-systems and an evidence-based approach. Individual chapters include: Professional Development • Developmentally-focused Nursing Care • Resuscitation of the Newborn • Management of Thermal Stability • Management of Respiratory Disorders • Cardiovascular Management • Brain Injury in the Preterm Infant • Haematological Problems • Pain Management • Fluid and Electrolyte Balance • Nutritional management • Neonatal Infection • Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures • Neonatal Anaesthesia • Surgical Aspects of Neonatal Intensive Care • Neonatal Transport • Family Support • Ethics and Neonatal Nursing • Medication in the Newborn • Death and Dying in the Neonatal Unit It is essential reading for experienced nurses and midwives caring for sick newborn babies within the neonatal intensive care unit, for nurses undertaking qualifications in the specialism of neonatal nursing and for pre-registration students undertaking relevant modules or placements.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition of Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing is a comprehensive, evidence-based text for nurses and allied health professionals caring for sick newborn infants. This user-friendly text focuses on the common problems and related care occurring within the neonatal specialty. All previous chapters have been thoroughly updated and new content includes chapters on, for example, organisation of neonatal care, assessment of the neonate, the premature and low birth weight neonate as well as palliative care. In addition, the book now includes a broad and in-depth web-based companion comprising online resources, case studies with answer guides and learning activities. This accessible and interactive approach enables nurses to recognise, rationalise and understand clinical problems using an evidence-based approach. Divided into four parts, the book provides an overview of neonatal care, and a detailed look at the physical and emotional wellbeing of neonate and family, a range of clinical aspects of neonatal care, and key practices and procedures. Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing will be essential reading for both new and experienced nurses, allied health professionals and students learning about neonatal care including those undertaking qualifications in the neonatal specialism and pre-registration students taking relevant modules or placements.

Co-authored by an interprofessional collaborative team of physicians and nurses, Merenstein & Gardner’s Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care, 9th Edition is the leading resource for interprofessional, collaborative care of critically ill newborns. It offers comprehensive coverage with a unique interprofessional collaborative approach and a real-world perspective that make it a practical guide for both nurses and physicians. The new ninth edition features a wealth of expanded content on delivery-room care; new evidence-based care "bundles"; palliative care in the NICU; interprofessional collaborative care of parents with depression, grief, and complicated grief; and new pain assessment tools. Updated high-quality references have also been reintegrated into the book, making it easier for clinicians to locate research evidence and standards of care with minimal effort. These additions, along with updates throughout, ensure that clinicians are equipped with the very latest clinical care guidelines and practice recommendations — all in a practical quick-reference format for easy retrieval and review. UNIQUE! Core author team of two physicians and two nurses gives this internationally recognized reference a true interprofessional collaborative approach that is unmatched by any other resource. Consistent organization within clinical chapters include Physiology/Pathophysiology, Etiology, Prevention, Data Collection (History, Signs and Symptoms, and Laboratory Data), Treatment/Intervention, Complications, and Parent Teaching sections. UNIQUE! Color-highlighted point-of-care clinical content makes high-priority clinical content quick and easy to find. UNIQUE! Parent Teaching boxes outline the relevant information to be shared with a patient’s caregivers. Critical Findings boxes outline symptoms and diagnostic findings that require immediate attention to help the provider prioritize assessment data and steps in initial care. Case studies demonstrate how to apply essential content to realistic clinical scenarios for application-based learning. NEW! Updated content throughout reflects the latest evidence-based practice, national and international guidelines, and current protocols for interprofessional collaborative practice in the NICU. NEW! Up-to-date, high-quality references are now reintegrated into the text for quick retrieval, making it easier for clinicians to locate research evidence and standards of care with minimal effort. NEW! Expanded content on delivery-room care includes the impact of staffing on quality of care, delayed cord clamping, resuscitation, and more. NEW! Coverage of the new evidence-based care "bundles" keeps clinicians up to date on new guidelines that have demonstrated improved outcomes of very preterm infants. NEW! Coverage of new pain assessment tools equips NICU providers with essential resources for maintaining patient comfort. NEW! Expanded coverage of palliative care in the NICU provides the tools needed to ensure patient comfort. NEW! Expanded coverage of interprofessional collaborative care of parents with depression, grief, and complicated grief prepares clinicians for this essential area of practice.