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Meconium Samples (meconium + sample)

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Medical Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

Finnegan neonatal abstinence scoring system: normal values for first 3 days and weeks 5,6 in non-addicted infants

ADDICTION, Issue 3 2010
Urs Zimmermann-Baer
ABSTRACT Objective The neonatal abstinence scoring system proposed by Finnegan is used widely in neonatal units to initiate and to guide therapy in babies of opiate-dependent mothers. The purpose of this study was to assess the variability of the scores in newborns and infants not exposed to opiates during the first 3 days of life and during 3 consecutive days in weeks 5 or 6. Patients and methods Healthy neonates born after 34 completed weeks of gestation, whose parents denied opiate consumption and gave informed consent, were included in this observational study. Infants with signs or symptoms of disease or with feeding problems were excluded. A modified scoring system was used every 8 hours during 72 hours by trained nurses; 102 neonates were observed for the first 3 days of life and 26 neonates in weeks 5,6. A meconium sample and a urine sample at weeks 5,6 were stored from all infants to be analysed for drugs when the baby scored high. Given a non-Gaussian distribution the scores were represented as percentiles. Results During the first 3 days of life median scores remained stable at 2 but the variability increased, with the 95th percentile rising from 5.5 on day 1 to 7 on day 2. At weeks 5,6 median values were higher during daytime (50th percentile = 5, 95th percentile = 8) than night-time (50th percentile = 2, 95th percentile = 6, P = 0.02). Conclusion Scores increase from days 1,3 to weeks 5,6 and show day,night cycles with 5,6 weeks. Values above 8 can be considered pathological. This data may help to raise suspicion of narcotic withdrawal and to guide therapy. [source]

Phospholipase A2 is present in meconium and inhibits the activity of pulmonary surfactant: an in vitro study

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 4 2001
AJJ Schrama
Atelectasis, a major contributor to pulmonary dysfunction in meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), is produced by bronchiolar obstruction and surfactant inactivation. It has been shown that substances in meconium, e.g. fatty acids, inhibit surfactant activity. However, the role of the enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which hydrolyses surfactant in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), has not yet been studied. Our objective was to investigate whether PLA2 is present in meconium and inhibits pulmonary surfactant activity in vitro. Therefore, the presence of PLA2 activity in meconium, collected from 10 newborns, was measured by the formation of lysophosphatidylcholine after incubation of meconium with radioactively labelled dipalmitoylphosphati-dylcholine. Meconium was fractionated by Sephadex G-100 column chromatography and the fractions were assayed for PLA2 activity. Also, their effect on the surface tension of surfactant (Curosurf) was measured using a pulsating bubble surfactometer (PBS). PLA2 activity was present in all meconium samples. Addition of meconium to surfactant significantly increased surface tension (mean ± SD: 17 ± 1.6 mN/m to 24.3 ± 6.7 mN/m, p= 0.0001) and only the addition of the PLA2 containing fraction from meconium to surfactant also significantly increased surface tension (mean 1.7 ± 1.6mN/m to 19.0 ± 3.58 mN/m, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: PLA2 is present in meconium and inhibits the activity of pulmonary surfactant in vitro. Therefore, PLA2 in meconium may contribute to surfactant inactivation and alveolar ateectasis in MAS. [source]

Determination of eight fatty acid ethyl esters in meconium samples by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography,mass spectrometry

JOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 14 2010
Marli Roehsig
Abstract A number of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) have recently been detected in meconium samples. Several of these FAEEs have been evaluated as possible biomarkers for in utero ethanol exposure. In the present study, a method was optimized and validated for the simultaneous determination of eight FAEEs (ethyl laurate, ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl palmitoleate, ethyl stearate, ethyl oleate, ethyl linoleate and ethyl arachidonate) in meconium samples. FAEEs were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction. Analyte detection and quantification were carried out using GC-MS operated in chemical ionization mode. The corresponding D5-ethyl esters were synthesized and used as internal standards. The LOQ and LOD for each analyte were <150 and <100,ng/g, respectively. The method showed good linearity (r2>0.98) in the concentration range studied (LOQ , 2000,ng/g). The intra- and interday imprecision, given by the RSD of the method, was lower than 15% for all FAEEs studied. The validated method was applied to 63 authentic specimens. FAEEs could be detected in alcohol-exposed newborns (>600,ng/g cumulative concentration). Interestingly, FAEEs could also be detected in some non-exposed newborns, although the concentrations were much lower than those measured in exposed cases. [source]