Study Protocol: Evaluation of Echocardiography in Sick Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Author(s): Kushal Desai*, Amar Taksande, Revat Meshram, Amol Lohakare and Rajendra Borkar
Abstract
Background: Echocardiography plays an increasing role in NICU’s, and neonatologists increasingly use it to make clinical decisions. It is the utilization of cardiac ultrasound at the bedside to assess longitudinal changes in both functional and hemodynamic parameters. Information that reflects cardiac capacity and systemic and pulmonary blood flow in preterm and term neonates can be observed. Analyzing hemodynamics via echocardiography at the bedside can be considered an addition to the clinical examination to assess cardiac function in sick neonates. Our primary goal in this study is to determine whether sick neonates have heart structural or functional abnormalities via echocardiography. Objectives: To determine the correlation between echocardiographic indications and intervention in sick newborns. Material & Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study will be conducted in the Neonatology Department, JNMC, Sawangi, Wardha. Each sick newborn will be asked for demographic information, including age, gender, and gestational age (GA), and birth weight. All sick neonates admitted to NICU will be selected as per the inclusion criteria in a non-randomized manner and will be subjected to echocardiography. If echocardiography reveals any abnormal findings, they will be followed up for any sequelae. The indications for echocardiography, the echocardiographic results and any changes in clinical management will be decided. Result: After completing the study, we will know the indication of echocardiography in sick neonates. We will come to see the prevalence of prevalence of cardiac structural or functional abnormality in sick neonates. Conclusion: This study will provide a cardiac structural or functional abnormality in the sick newborns.