Rx Note

Introduction Apnoea of prematurity is defined as sudden cessation of breathing that lasts for at least 20 seconds or is accompanied by bradycardia, oxygen desaturation (cyanosis) or pallor in an infant younger than 37 weeks' gestational age . Apnoea of prematurity is a developmental disorder in preterm infants, which occurs as a direct consequence of immature respiratory control. Monitoring for apnea of prematurity and associated bradycardia and hypoxemia generally includes continuous cardiac monitoring and continuous pulse oximetry. Epidemiology of apnoea of prematurity 7% of neonates born at 34 weeks gestational age or older Almost all extremely preterm (Gestational age <28 weeks) infants 80% of extremely low birth weight (<1000 g) infants Apnoea of prematurity resolution normally occurs between 36 to 40 weeks' postconceptual age . Some neonates, especially younger gestational age patients, may require longer courses of treatment. Classification Apnoea may be classi...

Introduction Before you start your pediatric or neonatal clinical rotation, you should familiarize yourself with a few key terms. Age Terminology Neonates - babies from birth to the age of 30 days of postnatal life, including both preterm and post-term babies. Gestational age (GA) - the age from the time of conception to birth, expressed in completed weeks. Chronological age or postnatal age (PNA) - the time elapsed after birth, expressed in days, weeks, months or years. Post-menstrual age (PMA) - is the sum of gestational age and chronological age, usually expressed in weeks. Example: A preterm infant born at a gestational age of 33 weeks who is currently 10 weeks old (chronological age) would have a postmenstrual age of 43 weeks. Corrected age or adjusted age - a term most appropriately used to describe children up to 3 years of age who were born preterm. This term represents the age of the child from the expected date of delivery. Corrected age is calculated by subtracting the num...