S543
Introduction
The following guidelines are a summary of the evidence pre
-
sented in the
2015 International Consensus on Cardiopulmo
nary
Resuscitation and Emer
gency Cardiovascular Care
Science With Treatment Recommendations
(CoSTR).
1,2
Throughout the online version of this publication, live links are
provided so the reader can connect directly to systematic reviews
on the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation
(ILCOR) Scientific Evidence Evaluation and Review System
(SEERS) website. These links are indicated by a combination
of letters and numbers (eg, NRP 787). We encourage readers
to use the links and review the evidence and appendices.
These guidelines apply primarily to newly born infants
transitioning from intrauterine to extrauterine life. The rec
-
ommendations are also applicable to neonates who have
completed newborn transition and require resuscitation dur
-
ing the first weeks after birth.
3
Practitioners who resuscitate
infants at birth or at any time during the initial hospitaliza
-
tion should consider following these guidelines. For pur
-
poses of these guidelines, the terms
newborn
and
neonate
apply to any infant during the initial hospitalization. The
term
newly born
applies specifically to an infant at the time
of birth.
3
Immediately after birth, infants who are breathing and cry
-
ing may undergo delayed cord clamping (see Umbilical Cord
Management section). However, until more evidence is avail
-
able, infants who are not breathing or crying should have the
cord clamped (unless part of a delayed cord clamping research
protocol), so that resuscitation measures can commence
promptly.
Approximately 10% of newborns require some assistance
to begin breathing at birth. Less than 1% require extensive
resuscitation measures,
4
such as cardiac compressions and
medications. Although most newly born infants successfully
transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life without special
help, because of the large total number of births, a significant
number will require some degree of resuscitation.
3
Newly born infants who do not require resuscitation can
be generally identified upon delivery by rapidly assessing the
answers to the following 3 questions:
•
Term gestation?
•
Good tone?
•
Breathing or crying?
If the answer to all 3 questions is “yes,” the newly born
infant may stay with the mother for routine care. Routine
care means the infant is dried, placed skin to skin with the
mother, and covered with dry linen to maintain a normal
temperature. Observation of breathing, activity, and color
must be ongoing.
If the answer to any of these assessment questions is “no,”
the infant should be moved to a radiant warmer to receive 1 or
more of the following 4 actions in sequence:
A.
Initial steps in stabilization (w
arm and maintain normal
temperature, position, clear secretions only if copious
and/or obstructing the airway, dry, stimulate)
B.
V
entilate and oxygenate
C.
Initiate chest compressions
D.
Administer epinephrine and/or v
olume
Approximately 60 seconds (“the Golden Minute”) are
allotted for completing the initial steps, reevaluating, and
beginning ventilation if required (Figure
1).
Although the
60-second mark is not precisely defined by science, it is
important to avoid unnecessary delay in initiation of venti
-
lation, because this is
the
most important step for successful
resuscitation of the newly born who has not responded to the
initial steps. The decision to progress beyond the initial steps
is determined by simultaneous assessment of 2 vital charac
-
teristics: respirations (apnea, gasping, or labored or unlabored
breathing) and heart rate (less than 100/min). Methods to accu
-
rately assess the heart rate will be discussed in detail in the
section on Assessment of Heart Rate. Once positive-pressure
ventilation (PPV) or supplementary oxygen administration is
started, assessment should consist of simultaneous evaluation
of 3 vital characteristics: heart rate, respirations, and oxygen
saturation, as determined by pulse oximetry and discussed
under Assessment of Oxygen Need and Administration of
Oxygen. The most sensitive indicator of a successful response
to each step is an increase in heart rate.
3
(
Circulation
. 2015;132[suppl 2]:S543–S560. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000267.)
© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc., and American Academy of Pediatrics, Inc.
Circulation
is available at http://circ.ahajournals.org
DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000267
The American Heart Association requests that this document be cited as follows: Wyckoff MH, Aziz K, Escobedo MB, Kapadia VS, Kattwinkel J, Perlman
JM, Simon WM, Weiner GM, Zaichkin, JG. Part 13: neonatal resuscitation: 2015 American Heart Association Guidelines Update for Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.
Circulation.
2015;132(suppl 2):S543–S560.
This article has been co-published in
Pediatrics
.
Part 13: Neonatal Resuscitation
2015 American Heart Association Guidelines Update for Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
Myra H. Wyckoff, Chair; Khalid Aziz; Marilyn B. Escobedo; Vishal S. Kapadia;
John Kattwinkel; Jeffrey M. Perlman; Wendy M. Simon; Gary M. Weiner; Jeanette G. Zaichkin
by guest on December 9, 2015
http://circ.ahajournals.org/
Downloaded from
S544
Circulation
November 3, 2015
Anticipation of Resuscitation Need
Readiness for neonatal resuscitation requires assessment of peri
-
natal risk, a system to assemble the appropriate personnel based
on that risk, an organized method for ensuring immediate access
to supplies and equipment, and standardization of behavioral
skills that help assure effective teamwork and communication.
Every birth should be attended by at least 1 person who can
perform the initial steps of newborn resuscitation and PPV, and
whose only responsibility is care of the newborn. In the presence
of significant perinatal risk factors that increase the likelihood of
the need for resuscitation,
5,6
additional personnel with resuscita
-
tion skills, including chest compressions, endotracheal intuba
-
tion, and umbilical vein catheter insertion, should be immediately
available. Furthermore, because a newborn without apparent risk
factors may unexpectedly require resuscitation, each institution
should have a procedure in place for rapidly mobilizing a team
with complete newborn resuscitation skills for any birth.
The neonatal resuscitation provider and/or team is at a
major disadvantage if supplies are missing or equipment is
not functioning. A standardized checklist to ensure that all
necessary supplies and equipment are present and functioning
may be helpful. A known perinatal risk factor, such as preterm
birth, requires preparation of supplies specific to thermoregu
-
lation and respiratory support for this vulnerable population.
When perinatal risk factors are identified, a team should
be mobilized and a team leader identified. As time permits,
Figure 1.
Neonatal Resuscitation Algorithm—2015 Update.
by guest on December 9, 2015
http://circ.ahajournals.org/
Downloaded from
Wyckoff et al
P
art 13: Neonatal Resuscitation
S545
the leader should conduct a preresuscitation briefing, iden
-
tify interventions that may be required, and assign roles and
responsibilities to the team members.
7,8
During resuscitation,
it is vital that the team demonstrates effective communication
and teamwork skills to help ensure quality and patient safety.
Umbilical Cord Management
NRP 787
,
NRP 849
Until recent years, a common practice has been to clamp the
umbilical cord soon after birth to quickly transfer the infant
to the neonatal team for stabilization. This immediate clamp
-
ing was deemed particularly important for infants at high risk
for difficulty with transition and those most likely to require
resuscitation, such as infants born preterm. During the 2010
CoSTR review, evidence began to emerge suggesting that
delayed cord clamping (DCC) might be beneficial for infants
who did not need immediate resuscitation at birth.
7
The 2015 ILCOR systematic review
NRP 787
confirms that DCC
is associated with less intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) of any
grade, higher blood pressure and blood volume, less need for
transfusion after birth, and less necrotizing enterocolitis. There
was no evidence of decreased mortality or decreased incidence
of severe IVH.
1,2
The studies were judged to be very low quality
(downgraded for imprecision and very high risk of bias). The only
negative consequence appears to be a slightly increased level of
bilirubin, associated with more need for phototherapy. These find
-
ings have led to national recommendations that DCC be practiced
when possible.
9,10
A major problem with essentially all of these
studies has been that infants who were thought to require resusci
-
tation were either withdrawn from the randomized controlled tri
-
als or electively were not enrolled. Therefore, there is no evidence
regarding safety or utility of DCC for infants requiring resuscita
-
tion and some concern that the delay in establishing ventilation
may be harmful. Some studies have suggested that cord “milking”
might accomplish goals similar to DCC,
11–13
but there is insuffi
-
cient evidence of either its safety or utility to suggest its routine
use in the newly born, particularly in extremely preterm infants.
In summary, from the evidence reviewed in the 2010 CoSTR
7
and subsequent review of DCC and cord milking in preterm
newborns in the 2015 ILCOR systematic review,
1,2
DCC for
longer than 30 seconds is reasonable for both term and preterm
infants who do not require resuscitation at birth (Class IIa, Level
of Evidence [LOE] C-LD). There is insufficient evidence to rec
-
ommend an approach to cord clamping for infants who require
resuscitation at birth, and more randomized trials involving such
infants are encouraged