Sepsis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal population, and at present, there is no unified definition of neonatal sepsis. Existing consensus sepsis definitions within ...paediatrics are not suited for use in the NICU and do not address sepsis in the premature population. Many neonatal research and surveillance networks have criteria for the definition of sepsis within their publications though these vary greatly and there is typically a heavy emphasis on microbiological culture. The concept of organ dysfunction as a diagnostic criterion for sepsis is rarely considered in neonatal literature, and it remains unclear how to most accurately screen neonates for organ dysfunction. Accurately defining and screening for sepsis is important for clinical management, health service design and future research. The progress made by the Sepsis-3 group provides a roadmap of how definitions and screening criteria may be developed. Similar initiatives in neonatology are likely to be more challenging and would need to account for the unique presentation of sepsis in term and premature neonates. The outputs of similar consensus work within neonatology should be twofold: a validated definition of neonatal sepsis and screening criteria to identify at-risk patients earlier in their clinical course. IMPACT: There is currently no consensus definition of neonatal sepsis and the definitions that are currently in use are varied.A consensus definition of neonatal sepsis would benefit clinicians, patients and researchers.Recent progress in adults with publication of Sepsis-3 provides guidance on how a consensus definition and screening criteria for sepsis could be produced in neonatology.We discuss common themes and potential shortcomings in sepsis definitions within neonatology.We highlight the need for a consensus definition of neonatal sepsis and the challenges that this task poses.
Abstract Background While a systematic review exists detailing neonatal sepsis outcomes from clinical trials, there remains an absence of a qualitative systematic review capturing the perspectives of ...key stakeholders. Objectives Our aim is to identify outcomes from qualitative research on any intervention to prevent or improve the outcomes of neonatal sepsis that are important to parents, other family members, healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers as a part of the development of a core outcome set (COS) for neonatal sepsis. Search Strategy A literature search was carried out using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases. Selection Criteria Publications describing qualitative data relating to neonatal sepsis outcomes were included. Data Collection and Analysis Drawing on the concepts of thematic synthesis, texts related to outcomes were coded and grouped. These outcomes were then mapped to the domain headings of an existing model. Main Results Out of 6777 records screened, six studies were included. Overall, 19 outcomes were extracted from the included studies. The most frequently reported outcomes were those in the domains related to parents, healthcare workers and individual organ systemas such as gastrointestinal system. The remaining outcomes were classified under the headings of general outcomes, miscellaneous outcomes, survival, and infection. Conclusions The outcomes identified in this review are different from those reported in neonatal sepsis clinical trials, thus highlighting the importance of incorporating qualitative studies into COS development to encapsulate all relevant stakeholders' perspectives.
Synopsis This study reviews outcomes considered important in neonatal sepsis by stakeholders such as parents and healthcare providers, aiding in developing a core outcome set (COS).
This work presents an experimental study on the identification and quantification of different types of dislocations in GaN grown by low-pressure solution growth. A reliable defect selective etching ...procedure in a NaOH-KOH melt is developed and validated using transmission electron microscopy that permits to define groups of etch pits that belong each to dislocations with a specific Burgers vector. This way a comparably fast method is provided for determining the total, the specific dislocation densities and the type of dislocation in a statistically representative way. The results for the solution grown samples are compared to those obtained for MOCVD GaN.
A billion years ago, two black holes spiraled together, forming a new black hole. They produced gravitational waves that reached Earth on September 14, 2015, where they were measured during the first ...observing run of the Advanced LIGO detectors. This signal marked the birth of gravitational-wave astronomy, which provides a unique way to study black holes and neutron stars. The Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors have now completed their third observing run, the latest in a series of runs, each more sensitive (and with higher detection rates) than the last. Here, we present the third Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3), which describes discoveries made up to the end of the third run.GWTC-3 contains 90 gravitational-wave candidates—35 more than the previous catalog—with better-than-even odds of being real signals. The catalog is an unprecedented census of merging black holes and neutron stars. We now have observations of binary neutron stars, binary black holes, and neutron star–black hole binaries. These cover a diverse range of masses, from neutron stars as light as 1.2 solar masses to remnant black holes exceeding 100 solar masses, and include ambiguous objects that straddle the expected divide between neutron stars and black holes.This paper details the latest results from the third observing run, from detector status and data-quality checks, to searches for signals and source-property inferences. GWTC-3 observations and associated data enable studies of compact astrophysical objects, the nature of gravity, and the history of the Universe. However, many puzzles and open questions remain to be addressed by future observing runs, which promise to yield hundreds more binary detections and possibly entirely new types of gravitational-wave sources.
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