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Book Review Indian Pediatrics 2001; 38: 116 |
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Manual of Neonatal Respiratory Care |
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Advances in the field of neonatal respiratory care have witnessed an explosion in both knowledge and technology that has greatly altered the outcome of high-risk neonates, especially the very low birth weight. The respiratory care of neonate is no more a standardized recipe, but offers one a tremendous variety of technology and techniques. Drs. Sinha and Donn have done a commendable job of putting together a comprehensive manual of respiratory care, which is a remarkable compendium of information. They have brought together 63 contributors, who are all expert health care professionals in their respective fields. The manual covers almost all aspects of neonatal respiratory care – pulmonary physiology, monitoring, ventilatory strategies, equipment details of neonatal ventilators, strategies for management of intractable respiratory failure and principles of nursing care. In addition the manual also covers subjects such as special procedures, outcome and ethical issues. One of the most useful sections is the one on ventilatory case studies, which demonstrates the use of ventilation principles in clinical practice. The use of simple language and clear diagrams makes the understanding of pulmonary physiology and graphic monitoring simple. The section on neonatal ventilators is an excellent reference for providers of neonatal intensive care. It provides forty pages of technical details about some of the commonly used neonatal ventilators. Four chapters are devoted to high frequency ventilation. This strategy of neonatal ventilation has gained substantial ground in recent years. For those beginning to use this strategy, this section provides useful information that should aid them in the appropriate use of this technique. The section on the management of specific respiratory disorders provides an overview of the current status in the respiratory management for each of these conditions. The manual would also be useful for nursing personnel managing neonates on ventilatory support. The sections on nursing care, sedation, analgesia and special procedures provides them all with useful practical information that would go a long way in their care of these critically sick neonates. The manual also provides very useful information on alternate therapies for intractable respiratory failure – extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, nitric oxide therapy and liquid ventilation. There is also useful information on the discharge and follow up of neonates who required ventilatory support during their NICU stay. The manual with its large font size, simple line diagrams and easy to read text makes it a very readable book. It is strongly recommended for residents, consultants and nurses providing active neonatal respiratory support.
Siddarth Ramji, |
