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Pharmacologic treatment of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome in community hospitals compared to academic medical centers

Journal of Perinatology volume 38, pages 1651–1656 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To compare length of hospital stay (LOS), LOS due to neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and duration of pharmacologic treatment in community or academic settings.

Study design

One hundred-two infants exposed to opioids in utero at two community hospitals were compared to 256 from eight academic centers. All infants were managed with non-pharmacologic care followed by similar pharmacologic treatment options.

Results

Two hundred-twelve infants received pharmacologic treatment for NAS. Mean LOS (24.7 ± 8.5 vs. 24.5 ± 11.3 days), LOS due to NAS (24.0 ± 8.2 vs. 23.3 ± 9.2 days), and duration of NAS treatment (19.3 ± 8.0 vs. 18.9 ± 9.2 days) were similar in community compared to academic medical centers.

Conclusions

No significant differences were found in infants managed in the community compared to academic care settings. These findings support caring for opioid-exposed infants in both community and academic settings with the use of standardized care protocols.

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Acknowledgements

Study sites and site Principal Investigators included: Baystate Medical Center — Jeffrey Shenberger, MD. Boston Medical Center — Elisha Wachman, MD. Cape Cod Health — Greg Parkinson, MD. Jacksonville Medical Center — Mark Hudak, MD. Maine Medical Center — Peter Marro, MD. Tufts Medical Center — Jonathan Davis, MD. University of Pittsburgh — Deborah Bogen, MD. Vanderbilt Medical Center — Barbara Engelhardt, MD. Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island — Adam Czynski, DO.

Funding

This study was funded by NIDA grants R01DA032889-04 and 1R21DA041706-01 and a grant from the Charles H. Hood Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Newborn Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Hayley Friedman, Karen Harvey-Wilkes & Jonathan M. Davis

  2. Cape Cod Health, Hyannis, MA, USA

    Gregory Parkinson & Catherine Parkinson

  3. The Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    Hocine Tighiouart, Norma Terrin & Jonathan M. Davis

  4. The Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Hocine Tighiouart

  5. School of Public Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    David Tybor

  6. Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infant’s Hospital, Providence, RI, USA

    Barry Lester

Authors
  1. Hayley Friedman
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  2. Gregory Parkinson
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  4. Catherine Parkinson
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  8. Karen Harvey-Wilkes
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  9. Jonathan M. Davis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan M. Davis.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Clinical Trial Number: NCT01958476.

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Friedman, H., Parkinson, G., Tighiouart, H. et al. Pharmacologic treatment of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome in community hospitals compared to academic medical centers. J Perinatol 38, 1651–1656 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0230-8

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