EFFICACY OF A NOVEL DEVICE TO DETECT, ALERT AND RESOLVE NEONATAL APNEA - PILOT STUDY

Objective: To measure the accuracy of a novel device in detecting Bradycardia andDesaturation (B&D) events and to determine its efficacy in resolving apneas innewborns with comparison to standard monitor (which only detects B&D eventsand alerts).Design: This was a prospective observational study.Setting: Sick Newborn Care Unit of a large tertiary referral hospital in Hyderabad,India.Methods: 31 newborns were provided with a novel device, which monitored oxygensaturation and pulse rate and alarmed when values dropped below a set thresholdwhich is referred as an event, henceforth. The novel device also provided footstimulation in response to above-mentioned events. When the monitor alarmed, anurse attended to the baby to confirm whether the baby was breathing and whetherthe event had been resolved by the device. If the event had not resolved, appropriateaction as per the standard-of-care was performed.Results: The novel device “ApneBootTM” positively detected B&D events 94.03% oftimes as compared to the standard reference monitor. 56 of 67 observed B&D eventswere visually confirmed to be apneas, indicating that 83.6% of B&D eventscoincided with apneas. Of the 56 apneic events, 50 were central apneas, of which 35were resolved by the novel device, making the device’s efficacy of apnea resolution70%.Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that this novel device “ApneBootTM”is very effective in detecting and alarming B&D events, which coincides with theapnea, and resolving it by providing foot stimulation.Keywords: Novel Device, Neonatal Apnea, Low Birth Weight, Body Temperature,Kangaroo Mother Care, Community Health,