Neonatal resuscitation and newborn outcomes in rural Kenya

Single-Use Bag Valve Masks: Evaluation of Device Design and Residual Bioburden Analytical Methods

Background

A recent survey of in-hospital reprocessing in Tanzanian hospitals identified bag-valve masks (BVM) as a commonly reused single-use device. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), in-hospital reprocessing supports neonatal resuscitation strategies by helping to maintain adequate supplies of BVM. However, there is a need for device-specific protocols defining reprocessing procedures and inspection criteria to overcome variations in reprocessing practices between hospitals. The purposes of this study were: 1) to complete a comprehensive design review and identify challenges to reprocessing BVMs; and 2) to investigate three different residual bioburden analysis methods for assessing the efficacy of decontaminating a disposable BVM.

Methods

New, unused bag-valve-masks were contaminated with Staphylococcus epidermidis and Artificial Mucus Soil to simulate the worst case soiling conditions. Devices underwent one of five disinfection protocols, including one currently used in a LMIC hospital. Three analytical (two quantitative and one qualitative) methods were selected to evaluate residual bioburden on the device following decontamination.

Results

Of all protocols tested, only the positive control and the Soap and Bleach protocols met disinfection targets. Most cleaning outcomes were consistent from trial to trial for each protocol. However, cleaning outcomes varied greatly for the Alcohol Wipe protocol. For the residual bioburden analyses, the two quantitative methods produced similar results, but the qualitative measurement exhibited increased variability.

Conclusion

While this study revealed positive disinfection outcomes for the Tanzanian hospital decontamination protocol, more studies are required to support these findings. Design features of the BVM mask presented challenges to cleaning and drying during different decontamination protocols, as seen in the variability in the Alcohol Wipe protocol performance. These findings support the case for a device-specific protocol for the BVM. Given proper hospital personnel training and available resources, in-hospital reprocessing could support neonatal resuscitation strategies and other demands for manual resuscitation by helping to maintain adequate supplies of BVM.

A neonatal resuscitation curriculum in Malawi, Africa: did it change in-hospital mortality?

Objective. The WHO estimates that 99% of the 3.8 million neonatal deaths occur in developing countries. Neonatal resuscitation training was implemented in Namitete, Malawi. The study's objective was to evaluate the training's impact on hospital staff and neonatal mortality rates. Study Design. Pre-/postcurricular surveys of trainee attitude, knowledge, and skills were analyzed. An observational, longitudinal study of secondary data assessed neonatal mortality. Result. All trainees' (n = 18) outcomes improved, (P = 0.02). Neonatal mortality did not change. There were 3449 births preintervention, 3515 postintervention. Neonatal mortality was 20.9 deaths per 1000 live births preintervention and 21.9/1000 postintervention, (P = 0.86). Conclusion. Short-term pre-/postintervention evaluations frequently reveal positive results, as ours did. Short-term pre- and postintervention evaluations should be interpreted cautiously. Whenever possible, clinical outcomes such as in-hospital mortality should be additionally assessed. More rigorous evaluation strategies should be applied to training programs requiring longitudinal relationships with international community partners.

Laryngeal Mask Airway for neonatal resuscitation in a developing country: evaluation of an educational intervention. Neonatal LMA: an educational intervention in DRC

Background

Studies carried out in developing countries have indicated that training courses in newborn resuscitation are efficacious in teaching local birth attendants how to properly utilize simple resuscitation devices. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and expertise gained by physicians and midwifes who participated in a Neonatal Resuscitation Course and workshop organized in a Third World Country on the use of Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA).

Methods

A 28-item questionnaire, derived from the standard test contained in the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Manual, was administered to 21 physicians and 7 midwifes before and after a course, which included a practical, hands-on workshop focusing on LMA positioning and bag-ventilation in a neonatal manikin.

Results

The knowledge gained by the physicians was superior to that demonstrated by the midwifes. The physicians, in fact, demonstrated a significant improvement with respect to their pre-course knowledge. Both the physicians and the midwives showed a good level of expertise in manipulating the manipulating the manikin during the practical trial session. The midwifes and physicians almost unanimously manifested a high degree of approval of neonatal resuscitation by LMA, as they defined it a sustainable and cost-effective method requiring minimal expertise.

Conclusions

Further studies are warranted to test the advantages and limits of the neonatal LMA training courses in developing countries.

Educational impact of a hospital-based neonatal resuscitation program in Ghana

AIM OF THE STUDY

To assess midwives' baseline cognitive knowledge of evidence-based neonatal resuscitation practices, and short- and long-term educational effects of teaching a neonatal resuscitation program in a hospital setting in West Africa.

METHODS

All midwives (n=14) on the labor ward at Ridge Hospital in Ghana were trained using materials modified from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). This training program included didactic and practical teaching and was assessed by direct observation within delivery rooms and written pre- and post-test evaluations. Written and practical modules 9-12 months after the initial training session were also conducted to assess retention of NRP knowledge and skills.

RESULTS

Fourteen midwives received NRP training on the labor ward. Both written and practical evaluation of neonatal resuscitation skills increased after training. The percentage of items answered correctly on the written examination increased from 56% pre-training to 71% post-training (p<0.01). The percentage of items performed correctly on the practical evaluation of skills increased from 58% pre-training to 81% (p<0.01). These results were sustained 9-12 months after the initial training session.

CONCLUSION

After receiving NRP training, neonatal resuscitation knowledge and skills increased among midwives in a hospital in West Africa and were sustained over a 9-month period. This finding demonstrates the sustained effectiveness of a modified neonatal resuscitation training program in a resource constrained setting.

Newborn resuscitation in resource-limited settings

Every year, an estimated 4 million newborn infants die worldwide in the first 4 weeks of life. A large majority of these deaths occurs during the first day of life. One of the United Nations' eight Millennium Development Goals is to decrease child mortality; prevention of neonatal deaths by appropriate resuscitation will have a significant impact on achieving this goal. Newborn resuscitation needs to be carried out in all the settings where asphyxiated babies are born, including: community or domiciliary settings for home births; rural health centers/midwifery stations, where attendants with basic resuscitation skills might be available; district-level facilities where staff are available but skills vary; and urban referral and tertiary care centers. Individuals at all levels require training and seldomly used skills need to be maintained so that, when required, resuscitation can be carried out efficiently and effectively. Simple resuscitation techniques include: positioning, drying, and keeping the baby warm; assessing the heart rate, color, and respirations; recognizing the need for, and administering, assisted ventilation with a bag and mask or tube and mask. These maneuvers can be carried out with simple equipment and appropriate training. Research in developing countries remains sparse, with 90% of research being done in more developed parts of the world, which experience just 10% of the problems. The significant gaps in our understanding include: failing to agree on a definition of the term 'asphyxia', lack of knowledge of the impact of community approaches on the prevention and management of asphyxia, and a failure to recognize the best method to determine heart rate.

Effect of newborn resuscitation training on health worker practices in Pumwani Hospital, Kenya

BACKGROUND

Birth asphyxia kills 0.7 to 1.6 million newborns a year globally with 99% of deaths in developing countries. Effective newborn resuscitation could reduce this burden of disease but the training of health-care providers in low income settings is often outdated. Our aim was to determine if a simple one day newborn resuscitation training (NRT) alters health worker resuscitation practices in a public hospital setting in Kenya.

METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We conducted a randomised, controlled trial with health workers receiving early training with NRT (n = 28) or late training (the control group, n = 55). The training was adapted locally from the approach of the UK Resuscitation Council. The primary outcome was the proportion of appropriate initial resuscitation steps with the frequency of inappropriate practices as a secondary outcome. Data were collected on 97 and 115 resuscitation episodes over 7 weeks after early training in the intervention and control groups respectively. Trained providers demonstrated a higher proportion of adequate initial resuscitation steps compared to the control group (trained 66% vs control 27%; risk ratio 2.45, [95% CI 1.75-3.42], p<0.001, adjusted for clustering). In addition, there was a statistically significant reduction in the frequency of inappropriate and potentially harmful practices per resuscitation in the trained group (trained 0.53 vs control 0.92; mean difference 0.40, [95% CI 0.13-0.66], p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Implementation of a simple, one day newborn resuscitation training can be followed immediately by significant improvement in health workers' practices. However, evidence of the effects on long term performance or clinical outcomes can only be established by larger cluster randomised trials.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN92218092.

Barriers to and facilitators for newborn resuscitation in Malawi, Africa

Newborn resuscitation is a key component of efforts to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality. This article reports the findings of focus groups conducted to explore the barriers and facilitators present for obstetric nurse providers in a central urban hospital in Malawi regarding the training and provision of neonatal resuscitation. All obstetric nurse providers in this setting participated in focus groups; these groups identified 4 themes: 1) confidence in their skills in assessing newborns and recognizing the need for resuscitation, 2) a lack of resources, 3) facilitators who would enable them to introduce resuscitation, and 4) solutions to the current problems. Resource shortages and barriers to providing care included availability of staff, equipment, and supplies; labor ward geography; ethical dilemmas; and the lack of standard protocols regarding newborn resuscitation. Facilitators were professional experience and the critical load of deliveries performed. Solutions to barriers included small resource additions as well as long-term policy changes. With standard policy and protocols, experienced, confident nurses could overcome the barriers to providing newborn resuscitation. This group identified ways to change systems to decrease infant mortality, thereby improving the health and quality of life of women receiving care in Malawi.

Newborn resuscitation: defining best practice for low-income settings

Current resuscitation practices are often poor in low-income settings. The purpose of this review was to summarise recent evidence, relevant to developing countries, on best practice in the provision of newborn resuscitation. Potential studies for inclusion were identified using structured searches of MEDLINE via PubMed. Two reviewers independently evaluated retrieved studies for inclusion. The methodological quality of the selected articles was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) levels of evidence, whilst the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) grading system was used for subsequent recommendations. Based on available evidence, where there is meconium-stained liquor, routine perineal suction of all babies and endotracheal suction of active babies do not prevent meconium aspiration syndrome and have potential risks. Adequate ventilation is possible with a bag-valve-mask device and room air is just as efficient as oxygen for initial resuscitation. This review supports the view that effective resuscitation is possible with basic equipment and minimal skills. Thus, where resources are limited, it should be possible to improve neonatal outcomes through promotion of the effective use of a bag-valve-mask alone, without access to more sophisticated and expensive technologies. Basic, effective resuscitation should therefore be available at all health facilities and potentially in the community.

Community-based interventions for improving perinatal and neonatal health outcomes in developing countries: a review of the evidence

BACKGROUND

Infant and under-5 childhood mortality rates in developing countries have declined significantly in the past 2 to 3 decades. However, 2 critical indicators, maternal and newborn mortality, have hardly changed. World leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000 agreed on a critical goal to reduce deaths of children <5 years by two thirds, but this may be unattainable without halving newborn deaths, which now comprise 40% of all under-5 deaths. Greater emphasis on wide-scale implementation of proven, cost-effective measures is required to save women's and newborns' lives. Approximately 99% of neonatal deaths take place in developing countries, mostly in homes and communities. A comprehensive review of the evidence base for impact of interventions on neonatal health and survival in developing-country communities has not been reported.

OBJECTIVE

This review of community-based antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal intervention trials in developing countries aimed to identify (1) key behaviors and interventions for which the weight of evidence is sufficient to recommend their inclusion in community-based neonatal care programs and (2) key gaps in knowledge and priority areas for future research and program learning.

METHODS

Available published and unpublished data on the impact of community-based strategies and interventions on perinatal and neonatal health status outcomes were reviewed. Evidence was summarized systematically and categorized into 4 levels of evidence based on study size, location, design, and reported impact, particularly on perinatal or neonatal mortality. The evidence was placed in the context of biological plausibility of the intervention; evidence from relevant developed-country studies; health care program experience in implementation; and recommendations from the World Health Organization and other leading agencies.

RESULTS

A paucity of community-based data was found from developing-country studies on health status impact for many interventions currently being considered for inclusion in neonatal health programs. However, review of the evidence and consideration of the broader context of knowledge, experience, and recommendations regarding these interventions enabled us to categorize them according to the strength of the evidence base and confidence regarding their inclusion now in programs. This article identifies a package of priority interventions to include in programs and formulates research priorities for advancing the state of the art in neonatal health care.

CONCLUSIONS

This review emphasizes some new findings while recommending an integrated approach to safe motherhood and newborn health. The results of this study provide a foundation for policies and programs related to maternal and newborn health and emphasizes the importance of health systems research and evaluation of interventions. The review offers compelling support for using research to identify the most effective measures to save newborn lives. It also may facilitate dialogue with policy makers about the importance of investing in neonatal health.