The Six-Hour Window: How the Community Hospital Nursery Can Optimize Outcomes of the Infant with Suspected Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Neonatal Netw. 2018 May 1;37(3):155-163. doi: 10.1891/0730-0832.37.3.155.

Abstract

Perinatal hypoxia is a devastating event before, during, or immediately after birth that deprives an infant's vital organs of oxygen. This injury at birth often requires a complex resuscitation and increases the newborn's risk of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The resuscitation team in a community hospital nursery may have less experience with complex resuscitation and post-resuscitation care of this infant than a NICU. This article provides the neonatal nurse in a Level I or Level II nursery with information about resuscitation and post-resuscitation care of an infant at risk of HIE while awaiting transport to a NICU for therapeutic cooling. The article describes the infant at risk for HIE, discusses pathophysiology and treatment of HIE, and lists essential components of post-resuscitation care while awaiting transport to an NICU, the importance of communication with the receiving NICU, and strategies for supporting the family.

MeSH terms

  • Aftercare / methods
  • Asphyxia Neonatorum* / complications
  • Asphyxia Neonatorum* / physiopathology
  • Hospitals, Community / methods
  • Humans
  • Hypothermia, Induced / methods*
  • Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain* / diagnosis
  • Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain* / etiology
  • Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain* / therapy
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Neonatal Nursing / methods
  • Nurseries, Hospital
  • Patient Transfer / methods*
  • Resuscitation / methods*
  • Risk Assessment / methods
  • Risk Management