Biomaterial Database

The monitoring of critically ill neonates. 1983

N McIntosh

Present-day neonatal intensive-care demands minute-by-minute knowledge of many different physiological parameters in order to anticipate, and hopefully avoid, crises which may adversely affect the individual's potential. Machines monitoring temperature, respiration and apnoea, heart-rate and rhythm, inspired oxygen, arterial oxygen and transcutaneous oxygen, blood-pressure and transcutaneous carbon dioxide are physically and electronically complex and yet they will have to be understood by clinicians and nurses without more than minimal training in their use. This paper assesses the clinical needs of the neonatal unit and discusses the available monitors from the clinician's point of view. The role of trend monitors, and monitoring of sick infants during transport from hospital to hospital are also discussed. If these monitors can be used correctly by medical and nursing staff, valuable time can be gained for the nursing of the baby. Failure of correct application may make life more dangerous for the sick or preterm infant.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007186	Incubators, Infant	Electrically powered devices that are intended to assist in the maintenance of the thermal balance of infants, principally by controlling the air temperature and humidity in an enclosure. (from UMDNS, 1999)	Infant Radiant Warmers,Radiant Warmers, Infant,Incubator, Infant,Infant Incubator,Infant Incubators,Infant Radiant Warmer,Radiant Warmer, Infant,Warmer, Infant Radiant,Warmers, Infant Radiant
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007363	Intensive Care Units, Neonatal	Hospital units providing continuing surveillance and care to acutely ill newborn infants.	Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Neonatal Intensive Care Units,Newborn Intensive Care Unit,Newborn Intensive Care Units,ICU, Neonatal,Neonatal ICU,Newborn ICU,Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU),ICU, Newborn,ICUs, Neonatal,ICUs, Newborn,Neonatal ICUs,Newborn ICUs
D007427	Intracranial Pressure	Pressure within the cranial cavity. It is influenced by brain mass, the circulatory system, CSF dynamics, and skull rigidity.	Intracerebral Pressure,Subarachnoid Pressure,Intracerebral Pressures,Intracranial Pressures,Pressure, Intracerebral,Pressure, Intracranial,Pressure, Subarachnoid,Pressures, Intracerebral,Pressures, Intracranial,Pressures, Subarachnoid,Subarachnoid Pressures
D008991	Monitoring, Physiologic	The continuous measurement of physiological processes, blood pressure, heart rate, renal output, reflexes, respiration, etc., in a patient or experimental animal; includes pharmacologic monitoring, the measurement of administered drugs or their metabolites in the blood, tissues, or urine.	Patient Monitoring,Monitoring, Physiological,Physiologic Monitoring,Monitoring, Patient,Physiological Monitoring
D010100	Oxygen	An element with atomic symbol O, atomic number 8, and atomic weight [15.99903; 15.99977]. It is the most abundant element on earth and essential for respiration.	Dioxygen,Oxygen-16,Oxygen 16
D012119	Respiration	The act of breathing with the LUNGS, consisting of INHALATION, or the taking into the lungs of the ambient air, and of EXHALATION, or the expelling of the modified air which contains more CARBON DIOXIDE than the air taken in (Blakiston's Gould Medical Dictionary, 4th ed.). This does not include tissue respiration (	Breathing
D001795	Blood Pressure Determination	Techniques used for measuring BLOOD PRESSURE.	Blood Pressure Determinations,Determination, Blood Pressure
D001831	Body Temperature	The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal.	Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D002245	Carbon Dioxide	A colorless, odorless gas that can be formed by the body and is necessary for the respiration cycle of plants and animals.	Carbonic Anhydride,Anhydride, Carbonic,Dioxide, Carbon