title: Central-peripheral temperature difference, blood pressure, and arginine vasopressin in preterm neonates undergoing volume expansion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of intravascular volume expansion for the treatment of hypovolaemia in sick preterm neonates.
  
  
  METHODS
  An intravenous infusion of 20 ml per kg of 4.5% albumin was given to 14 preterm neonates. The effects on systolic blood pressure, central peripheral temperature difference (c-pT), and plasma arginine vasopressin concentration (pAVP) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen babies showed a rise in systolic blood pressure. The six babies with the highest initial values of pAVP and c-pT showed a fall in both of these after infusion. The babies with lower initial pAVP (below 4 pmol/l) showed either a rise (two) or no change (six) after albumin infusion. There was a significant correlation between c-pT and log pAVP before (r2 = 0.61; p < 0.05) and after infusion (r2 = 0.45; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma AVP concentration is related to c-pT in unwell preterm newborns. This study suggests that clinical assessment of hypovolaemia in preterm newborns is poor and could be improved by using c-pT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Baylis
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Coulthard
mesh_terms: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001831:Body Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D010952:Plasma Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012769:Shock / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D010952:Plasma Substitutes; D012709:Serum Albumin; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin