Delivery room management of the critically ill pre-term and full-term newborn

Primary care of the critically ill newborn comprises both the rapid evaluation of the vital parameters (psaO(2), electrocardiogram, blood pressure) and immediate support of pulmonary (CPAP or intubation) and cardiac (chest compression, adrenaline) adaptation. Resuscitation should be initiated with room air, followed, where indicated, by increased FiO(2). Chest compression should be applied without delay and, as far as possible, without interruption. The chest should be permitted to re-expand fully during relaxation. The ratio of ventilations to chest compressions is 1:3. The present article is closely orientated to the resuscitation guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) published in 2010.