2005 Volume 53 Issue 1 Pages 21-25
We have been treating severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography, according to Tamura's perinatal protocol. We retrospectively evaluated the protocol through the clinical course.
We reviewed 12 neonates who had been diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypoplasia on discharge by 99mTc-MAA scintigraphy. They were divided into two groups : group A (diagnosed with severe CDH antenatally) and group B (diagnosed with severe CDH postnatally). The two groups were compared retrospectively using clinical data.
Group A was more immature than group B in gestational age and birth weight. Both the length of hospital stay and tracheal intubation were longer in group A. The Oxygenation Index in group A was higher than that in group B. Group B required a longer time for stabilization.
Group A was stabilized more quickly, although it was more immature and the condition was more severe than in group B. The results suggest that the protocol was adequate for the treatment of severe CDH.
