Advances in the field of assisted ventilation include computer-assisted ventilators with an ever-increasing number of modalities, bedside pulmonary function measurements, and graphics and drugs to modulate the pulmonary vascular bed…
The use of respiratory support in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to treat a variety of newborn respiratory conditions (e.g., respiratory distress syndrome and chronic lung disease) is quite…
Introduction The outcomes of neonates after assisted ventilation are highly variable. Even among infants who require minimal respiratory support, predicting long-term lung and developmental outcomes is complex. Whether the result…
The discharge readiness of infants is usually determined by the demonstration of achieving several minimum functional competencies. These competencies include (1) thermoregulation; (2) control of breathing without apnea, bradycardia, or…
The development of exogenous surfactant therapy in the early 1990s was a historic advance in neonatology that led to significant reductions in neonatal mortality. Exogenous surfactant therapy is now routinely…
Introduction The advent of the specialty of neonatology has promoted the care and survival of ever-increasing numbers of extremely small newborns. These patients have a whole host of complex anatomic…
Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) is important for the regulation of vascular tone. The enzyme NO synthase generates NO from L-arginine. NO then activates guanyl cyclase and increases the production of…
Introduction Hemodynamic problems are frequent in infants undergoing neonatal intensive care. The evaluation and treatment of such problems must take into account the developmental physiology of the neonatal cardiovascular system,…
The neonatal patient requiring surgery presents a unique challenge in the delivery of safe and effective airway management, ventilation, sedation, and anesthesia. The physiology of the neonate is unique and…
Acknowledgment We would like to acknowledge Dr. Dharmapuri Vidyasagar for his contributions in the earlier edition of this chapter. The first chapter in this book describes the historical origins of…