Authors: Yogen Singh Samir Gupta Alan M Groves Anjum Gandhi John Thomson Shakeel Qureshi John M Simpson
Publish Date: 2015/09/12
Volume: 175, Issue: 2, Pages: 281-287
Abstract
Targeted echocardiographic assessments of haemodynamic status are increasingly utilised in many settings Application in the neonatal intensive care units NICU is increasingly demanded but challenging given the risk of underlying structural lesions This statement follows discussions in UK led by the Neonatologists with an Interest in Cardiology and Haemodynamics NICHe group in collaboration with the British Congenital Cardiac Association BCCA and the Paediatricians with Expertise in Cardiology Special Interest Group PECSIG Clear consensus was agreed on multiple aspects of best practice for neonatologistperformed echocardiogram NoPE—rigorous attention to infection control and cardiorespiratory/thermal stability early referral to paediatric cardiology with suspicion of structural disease reporting on standardised templates reliable image storage regular skills maintenance collaboration with a designated paediatric cardiologist and regular scan audit/review It was agreed that NoPE assessments should confidently exclude structural lesions at first scan Practitioners would be expected to screen and establish gross normality of structure at first scan and obtain confirmation from paediatric cardiologist if required and subsequently functional echocardiography can be performed for haemodynamic assessment to guide management of newborn babies To achieve training NICHe group suggested that mandatory placements could be undertaken during core registrar training or neonatal subspecialty grid training with a paediatric cardiology placement for 6 months and a neonatology placement for a minimum of 6 months In the future we hope to define a precise curriculum for assessments Technological advances may provide solutions—improvements in telemedicine may have neonatologists assessing haemodynamic status with paediatric cardiologists excluding structural lesions and neonatal echocardiography simulators could increase exposure to multiple pathologies and allow limitless practice in image acquisition• This is the first document of consensus best practice statement for training of neonatologists in neonatologistperformed echocardiogram NoPE jointly drafted by Neonatologists with interest in cardiology haemodynamics NICHe paediatric cardiology and paediatricians with expertise in cardiology interest groups in UK
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