Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
4-18-2024
Abstract
Background: Pain medication use in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be highly challenging due to concerns for negative impact on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Many commonly utilized pain medications and sedatives such as midazolam, fentanyl, and morphine have problematic side effects, for example, decreased gut motility, that can prolong time to full feeds and increase hospital length of stay. Dexmedetomidine may be a safe alternative, although ongoing investigations are needed to determine which patient populations may safely receive this medication.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of term infants admitted to the NICU at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) from November 2019 – November 2021 with a gastrointestinal (GI) condition/surgery or neonatal encephalopathy requiring hypothermia treatment. A dexmedetomidine guideline was introduced August 1, 2022. Prospective data was then collected until August 16, 2023.
Data: 13 infants with NE and 26 infants with GI conditions in the retrospective cohort and 16 infants with NE and 7 infants with GI conditions in the prospective cohort were included in the analysis. Demographic information, feeding information, and medication exposure information was collected.
Results: Infants with NE had a decrease (not statistically significant) in length of hospitalization (18 vs 23 days; p=0.2), time to full feeds following medication exposure (4.75 vs 6.6 days; p=0.07) and number of days requiring medication (5.6 vs. 9.2 days; p=0.1) when receiving dexmedetomidine compared to prior standard of care. No significant differences were observed in the GI condition/surgery infants.
Conclusion: Infants with NE requiring hypothermia treatment that received dexmedetomidine had an impact on time to full feeds and length of hospital stay. While not statistically significant at this time, trends are observed that could positively impact these hospitalizations as the guideline continues to be used.
Recommended Citation
Carrier, Austin; Dane G. Winter; Zoe Henderson; Jessica Gross; Eleni Shenk; and Jessie R. Maxwell. "Utilization of Dexmedetomidine Positively Impacts Length of Hospitalization in a Neonatal Intensive Care Population." (2024). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_2024_pediatric_research/2
