title: Improved fluid management utilizing humidified incubators in extremely low birth weight infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare fluid and electrolyte management in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants nursed in humidified versus nonhumidified incubators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Setting--tertiary intensive care nursery. Subjects--all infants with birth weight < 1000 g admitted 1/95 to 1/99 who were treated with incubators and survived for > 96 hours (N = 155). Intervention--retrospective comparison of daily weights, fluid intakes, urine outputs, and serum electrolytes between group 1 (n = 70, nonhumidified incubators, born 1/95 to 1/97) and group 2 (n = 85, humidified incubators, born 1/97 to 1/99) over the first 4 days after birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite similar daily weight losses between groups, group 1 infants received higher fluid intakes, had lower urine outputs, and had a higher incidence of hypernatremia, hyperkalemia, and azotemia (p < 0.05). Although no differences in mortality or the incidence of patent ductus arteriosus, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or the overall rate of nosocomial infections were observed, the proportion of gram-negative isolates increased significantly (62%, p < 0.05) following the introduction of humidified incubators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ELBW weight infants nursed in humidified incubators have lower fluid requirements, improved electrolyte balance, and higher urine outputs during the first 4 days after birth compared to those nursed in nonhumidified incubators.
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gaylord
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lorch
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lorch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007186:Incubators, Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology