Steven M. Donn
University of Michigan, USA
Title: The ten commandments of neonatal mechanical ventilation
Biography
Biography: Steven M. Donn
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a trend toward the protocolization of neonatal intensive care. While this may be beneficial in some areas such as feeding and infection control, it is potentially harmful with respect to ventilator management. Each baby is unique, and neonatal respiratory diseases are diverse and exhibit varying pathophysiology. Treating a very low birth weight infant with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) the same way as a large, term baby with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) does at least one of them, if not both, a disservice. A ten-step pathophysiology-based approach to ventilator management will be presented to evaluate and treat newborn infants with respiratory failure. The emphasis will be on matching the therapeutic strategy to the underlying pathophysiology.