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Newborn and infant surgery
Preface Newborn and Infant Surgery Frances Strodtbeck, DNS, RNC, NNP, FAAN
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ne of the most interesting and challenging group of patients in the intensive care unit is the newborn or infant with a surgical problem. These infants may be preterm, term, or post-term. They may require surgery to fix a defect in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, or cardiovascular systems. Some preterm infants will require inguinal hernia repairs and/or laser surgery for retinopathy of prematurity. While there are profound differences between these surgical problems, there are certain commonalities that impact all newborns and infants undergoing
© 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi: 10.1053/nbin.2003.36102
surgery. One of these commonalities is a period of no enteral nutrition or nothing by mouth (NPO). The consequences of prolonged periods of NPO are discussed in the article by Strodtbeck. Moniaci and Fike present a case study representative of the typical hospital course of low birth weight infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The changes in the management of NEC, especially surgical interventions, are detailed in the article by Parker, Moniaci, and Fike. The newborn with an abdominal wall defect is a relatively common gastrointestinal disorder seen in the neonatal intensive care unit. The embryology, pathophysiology, and management of this disorder are reviewed by Williams, Butler, and Sundem.
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, Vol 3, No 2 (June), 2003: p 42
42
O
ne of the most interesting and challenging group of patients in the intensive care unit is the newborn or infant with a surgical problem. These infants may be preterm, term, or post-term. They may require surgery to fix a defect in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, or cardiovascular systems. Some preterm infants will require inguinal hernia repairs and/or laser surgery for retinopathy of prematurity. While there are profound differences between these surgical problems, there are certain commonalities that impact all newborns and infants undergoing
© 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi: 10.1053/nbin.2003.36102
surgery. One of these commonalities is a period of no enteral nutrition or nothing by mouth (NPO). The consequences of prolonged periods of NPO are discussed in the article by Strodtbeck. Moniaci and Fike present a case study representative of the typical hospital course of low birth weight infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The changes in the management of NEC, especially surgical interventions, are detailed in the article by Parker, Moniaci, and Fike. The newborn with an abdominal wall defect is a relatively common gastrointestinal disorder seen in the neonatal intensive care unit. The embryology, pathophysiology, and management of this disorder are reviewed by Williams, Butler, and Sundem.
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, Vol 3, No 2 (June), 2003: p 42
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