#450 - [Journal Club] - 🫀From The Heart - When Nitric Oxide Fails: Is the Left Ventricle the Culprit in Septic Preterm Infants?

#450 - [Journal Club] - 🫀From The Heart - When Nitric Oxide Fails: Is the Left Ventricle the Culprit in Septic Preterm Infants?

In this retrospective single-center study from Toronto, Adrianne and Nim explore the echo findings of preterm infants with septic shock and hypoxemic respiratory failure. Contrary to the common assumption that elevated pulmonary vascular resistance drives hypoxemia in sepsis, the data points to left ventricular dysfunction as a key contributor. Babies with hypoxemic respiratory failure showed lower LV systolic and diastolic performance, while pulmonary pressures were similar between groups. Mortality was significantly higher in the hypoxemic group. This challenges the reflex to reach for nitric oxide first and asks clinicians to look at the whole heart. ---- Cardiopulmonary Physiology of Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure Among Preterm Infants with Septic Shock. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39510164/] Kharrat A, Nissimov S, Zhu F, Deshpande P, Jain A.J Pediatr. 2025 Mar;278:114384. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114384. Epub 2024 Nov 6.PMID: 39510164 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1739595/support] As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

#447 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Is a Five-Day Antibiotic Course Enough to Treat UTIs in the NICU?

Is five days of antibiotics enough to treat a urinary tract infection in a NICU infant? In this Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna review a single-center study from Nationwide Children's Hospital examining adherence and safety of a five-day antibiotic treatment guideline for culture and urinalysis-proven UTIs in the NICU. Among 77 infants with 93 bacterial UTIs, the five-day course was associated with a 1% failure rate, defined as reinitiation of antibiotics within seven days for the same organism. The episode also explores the potential role of enteral antibiotic therapy and what shorter treatment courses could mean for babies still weeks away from discharge. ---- Urinary tract infection in the neonatal intensive care unit. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42056240/] Magers J, Burton A, Prusakov P, White NO, Miller RR, Moraille R, Theile AR, Sánchez PJ; Nationwide Children’s Hospital Neonatal Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (NEO-ASP).J Perinatol. 2026 May;46(5):754-760. doi: 10.1038/s41372-026-02690-1. Epub 2026 Apr 29.PMID: 42056240 Free PMC article. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1739595/support] As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

#447 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Does Extended CPAP Reduce Intermittent Hypoxemia in Stable Preterm Infants?

What happens to intermittent hypoxemia when you keep a stable preterm infant on CPAP for two extra weeks? In this Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna review a secondary analysis from the Journal of Pediatrics by Mamidi and McEvoy. Among 95 infants randomized to either two additional weeks of bubble CPAP on room air or discontinued CPAP, those in the extended CPAP group experienced significantly fewer intermittent hypoxemia episodes (57.6 versus 151.7), higher baseline saturations, and greater functional residual capacity. The episode also touches on the practical implications for units navigating oral feeding protocols alongside extended CPAP. ---- Extended Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Infants Born Preterm Decreases Intermittent Hypoxemia: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42190903/] Mamidi RR, Go MDA, Harris J, Olson M, Milner K, Tepper RS, Morris C, Park B, Schelonka R, MacDonald KD, McEvoy CT.J Pediatr. 2026 May 25:115165. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.115165. Online ahead of print.PMID: 42190903 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1739595/support] As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

#447 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Are we missing UTIs in neonates hospitalized for unexplained jaundice?

In this Journal Club episode, Daphna reviews a retrospective cohort study from Istanbul examining clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound factors associated with UTI in neonates hospitalized for unexplained hyperbilirubinemia. Among 96 term and near-term infants, 31% had culture-proven UTIs, a striking prevalence. Pathological renal ultrasound findings were independently associated with UTI, with affected neonates 4.6 times more likely to have a concurrent infection. Notably, standard laboratory markers including CRP and white blood cell count failed to distinguish UTI-positive from UTI-negative infants. The findings prompt a practical question: should urine culture be part of the routine workup for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia? ---- Renal ultrasonography findings are associated with urinary tract infection in neonates with asymptomatic hyperbilirubinemia. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41975209/] Sarı EE, Salihoğlu Ö.J Perinatol. 2026 Apr 13. doi: 10.1038/s41372-026-02686-x. Online ahead of print.PMID: 41975209 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1739595/support] As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

#447 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Is phototherapy doing more harm than good in very preterm infants?

In this Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna review a nationwide Swedish cohort study examining the association between phototherapy duration and neonatal outcomes in very preterm infants (22 to 31 weeks). The study’s primary outcome, late neonatal mortality on days 8 to 27, was not significantly associated with phototherapy duration. However, longer phototherapy exposure was associated with increased odds of severe neonatal morbidity, including IVH and BPD, in infants born at 26 to 31 weeks. The findings prompt an important conversation about the near-universal use of phototherapy in preterm neonates and whether current practice warrants reassessment. ---- Phototherapy, Morbidity, and Mortality in Very Preterm Newborns. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42166159/] Deschmann E, Håkansson S, Söderling J, Norman M.JAMA Netw Open. 2026 May 1;9(5):e2614107. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.14107.PMID: 42166159 Free PMC article. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1739595/support] As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!