La lattatemia nel puledro neonato sottoposto a terapia intensiva

Admission blood lactate concentration has been shown to be a useful indicator of disease severity in human medicine and numerous studies have associated hyperlactatemia with patients at high risk of death who should be treated aggressively regardless of the cause of the lactate generation. The degree and duration of hyperlactacidaemia also have been correlated with the subsequent development of organ failure. Similarly, in a small number of studies about equine colic, blood lactate concentration has been investigated as a useful prognostic variable . In neonatal foals blood lactate was studied first by Magdesian (2003) who described venous blood lactate concentration in 14 normal foals during the initial 48 hours post-partum. A preliminary study about lactate concentration in foals presenting to a neonatal intensive care unit reported that surviving foals had earlier lactate clearance. The measurement of blood lactate concentration is traditionally available with a wet chemistry laboratory method or with blood-gas analyzers, for clinicians working at university or large private hospital. But this methods may not be easily accessible to many practitioners in field conditions. Several relatively inexpensive, easy to use and rapid pocket size monitors to measure lactate concentration have been validated in human patients and athletes. None of these portable lactate analyzer have been evaluated in clinically normal neonatal foals or in foals referred to a neonatal intensive care unit. The aims of this study were to validate the Lactate Scout analyzer in neonatal foals, investigating the correlation between lactate concentration in whole blood measured with the portable monitor and measured in plasma with the reference laboratory analyzer. The effect of hematocrit (Hct) on the accuracy of Lactate Scout was also evaluated. Further, we determined the utility of venous lactate measurement in critically-ill foals, describing lactate values in the most frequent neonatal pathologies, evaluating serial blood lactate measurements during hospitalization and investigating its prognostic value. The study also describes normal range for lactate in healthy neonatal foals during the first 72 hours of life.

Validazione e applicazioni cliniche della metodica NIRA (Near Infrared Reflectance Analysis) per la valutazione del contenuto nutrizionale del latte materno in terapia intensiva neonatale

Phase 1: To validate Near-Infrared Reflectance Analysis (NIRA) as a fast, reliable and suitable method for routine evaluation of human milk’s nitrogen and fat content. Phase 2: To determine whether fat content, protein content and osmolality of HM before and after fortification may affect gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in symptomatic preterm infants. Patients and Methods: Phase 1: 124 samples of expressed human milk (55 from preterm mothers and 69 from term mothers) were used to validate NIRA against traditional methods (Gerber method for fat and Kjeldhal method for nitrogen). Phase 2: GER was evaluated in 17 symptomatic preterm newborns fed naïve and fortified HM by combined pH/intraluminal-impedance monitoring (pH-MII). HM fat and protein content was analysed by a Near-Infrared-Reflectance-Analysis (NIRA). HM osmolality was tested before and after fortification. GER indexes measured before and after fortification were compared, and were also related with HM fat and protein content and osmolality before and after fortification. Results: Phase 1: · A strong agreement was found between traditional methods’ and NIRA’s results (expressed as g/100 g of milk), both for fat and nitrogen content in term (mean fat content: NIRA=2.76; Gerber=2.76; mean nitrogen content: NIRA=1.88; Kjeldhal =1.92) and preterm (mean fat content: NIRA=3.56; Kjeldhal=3.52; mean nitrogen content: NIRA=1.91; Kjeldhal =1.89) mother’s milk. · Nitrogen content of the milk samples, measured by NIRA, ranged from 1.18 to 2.71 g/100 g of milk in preterm milk and from 1.48 to 2.47 in term milk; fat content ranged from 1.27 to 6.23 g/100 g of milk in preterm milk and from 1.01 to 6.01 g/100 g of milk in term milk. Phase 2: · An inverse correlation was found between naïve HM protein content and acid reflux index (RIpH: p=0.041, rho=-0.501). · After fortification, osmolality often exceeded the values recommended for infant feeds; furthermore, a statistically significant (p<.05) increase in non acid reflux indexes was observed. Conclusions: NIRA can be used as a fast, reliable and suitable tool for routine monitoring of macronutrient content of human milk. Protein content of naïve HM may influence acid GER in preterm infants. A standard fortification of HM may worsen non acid GER indexes and, due to the extreme variability in HM composition, may overcome both recommended protein intake and HM osmolality. Thus, an individualized fortification, based on the analysis of the composition of naïve HM, could optimize both nutrient intake and feeding tolerance.