Newborn patient care with induced hypothermia
Section: Hands on
How to quote
Fernández Tuñas MC, Prego Boente R, Couce Pico ML, Pérez Muñuzuri A. Cuidados al paciente neonato con hipotermia inducida. Metas Enferm jun 2015; 18(5): 56-59.
Authors
1Mª del Carmen Fernández Tuñas, 1Raquel Prego Boente, 2Mª Luz Couce Pico, 2Alejandro Pérez Muñuzuri
Position
1Enfermera. Servicio de Neonatología. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela.2Licenciada/o en Medicina. Servicio de Neonatología. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela.
Contact address
Mª del Carmen Fernández Tuñas. Viceso-Pousada, 25. 15839 Brión (La Coruña).
Contact email: mctunas@yahoo.es
Abstract
Active neonatal hypothermia represents a therapeutic advance for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) cases in newborns, and it involves reducing the body temperature in 3-4ºC during the first 6 hours of life, and sustaining this during 72 hours, after which a progressive warming will take place (0.5 ºC/hour).
This therapy improves the morbimortality in these patients, by encouraging neuroprotection, because it reduces the brain metabolism, the apoptosis, and the formation of oxygen-free radicals. This treatment with cold can cause severe complications such as coagulation alterations, arrhythmias, hypotension, and hyperglycemias, among others.
This article describes the action taken for a patient with HIE, as well as Nursing care for patients subject to induced hypothermia, and specifically the monitoring and control to be conducted in order to avoid any of the potential complications linked with this treatment.
Keywords:
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy; neurology; induced hypothermia; newborn; Nursing care; potential complicationsprotocol
Versión en Español
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