Victoria Surma1, V Peter Nagraj2, Karen D Fairchild3, Jeffrey Vergales4. 1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. 2. Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. 3. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. kdf2n@virginia.edu. 4. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Temperature instability has been observed in infants with trisomy 21 (T21) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) but has not been described in the literature. METHODS: All infants with T21 in the NICU 2011-2017 with at least 2 days of temperatures when ≥36 weeks PMA and not receiving external thermoregulation, and 2:1 matched controls were included. Prevalence and number of temperatures < 36 and >38 °C and infection workups were compared. RESULTS: Hypothermia and hyperthermia were more common among T21 infants (n = 61) vs. controls: hypothermia 30% vs. 11% (p < 0.01); hyperthermia 16% vs. 8% (p = 0.13). Infants with T21 were more likely to have infection workups at the time of temperature instability (16% vs. 6%) but only one of ten workups was diagnostic of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Temperature instability without infection is common among infants with T21 in the NICU.
BACKGROUND: Temperature instability has been observed in infants with trisomy 21 (T21) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) but has not been described in the literature. METHODS: All infants with T21 in the NICU 2011-2017 with at least 2 days of temperatures when ≥36 weeks PMA and not receiving external thermoregulation, and 2:1 matched controls were included. Prevalence and number of temperatures < 36 and >38 °C and infection workups were compared. RESULTS:Hypothermia and hyperthermia were more common among T21 infants (n = 61) vs. controls: hypothermia 30% vs. 11% (p < 0.01); hyperthermia 16% vs. 8% (p = 0.13). Infants with T21 were more likely to have infection workups at the time of temperature instability (16% vs. 6%) but only one of ten workups was diagnostic of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Temperature instability without infection is common among infants with T21 in the NICU.