Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2025
Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
Published on: January 27, 2023
Association between early echocardiography screening of low systemic blood flow and intraventricular hemorrhage in
Sandra Terroba-Seara1,2, Ignacio Oulego-Erroz3,4, Daniel Palanca-Arias5,6
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León, León, Spain.
Objective:
To determine whether early echocardiography screening of low systemic blood flow reduces intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants.
Study Design:
Prospective multicenter study in preterm infants below 33 weeks of gestational age at nine neonatal units. Five units performed early echocardiography screening for low systemic blood flow and guided clinical management (exposure group) and 4 units did not (control group). Our main outcome was ≥grade II intraventricular hemorrhage or death within the first 7 days of life. The main analysis used the inverse probability of treatment weighting.
Results:
Three hundred and thirty-two preterm infants (131 in the exposure group and 201 in the control group) were included. Exposure to early echocardiography screening was associated with a significant reduction in ≥grade II intraventricular hemorrhage or early death [odds ratio 0.285 (95% CI: 0.133-0.611); p = 0.001].
Conclusions:
Early echocardiography screening for low systemic blood flow may reduce the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants.
