[Neonatal emergency in the delivery room].
Perinatal asphyxia is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the new-borns and in the infants. During delivery the risk of severe asphyxia is high not only in pre-term infants but also in those at term. A correct assistance during the first minutes of life is crucial for the outcome of the asphyxiated babies. The interventions to perform are few and quite simple but they must be performed carefully. There are some standardised steps in the correct assistance of the new-borns in the delivery room: A)--airways gentle cleaning. B)--breathing, maintain a good ventilation with manual assistance avoiding the use of oxygen. Oxygen is toxic not only for preterm infants but also for babies at term. C)--cardiac activity, check in order to maintain a good blood pressure. Permanent brain damages are related not only to the length and the severity of asphyxia but mainly to the cardiac activity and to the circulation., D)--drugs: only few drugs are seldom necessary for rescutation of the new-borns in the delivery room--beta-mimetics, Na-bicarbonate, surfactant--and they must be used carefully. The time is another critical point to prevent permanent damages, in the severe asphyxia only few minutes and for this reason it is mandatory the presence in delivery room of a person with very good experience in the newborn resuscitation.
Bevilacqua
G
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Istituto di Puericultura e Medicina Neonatale, Parma.
D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003696:Delivery Rooms; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn