Lindsey Carr

Recent studies have found that neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, initial hospitalized days, short stays, and additional NICU utilization trends vary significantly in the United States health care system.

 However, NICU utilization trends have yet to be thoroughly investigated.

set out to explore NICU utilization trends using the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health care system. Participants included every woman who gave birth in a Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospital, and her newborn, from January 2010 to December 2018.

Trends studied included NICU admission, NICU patient-days, readmission rates and mortality rates. 

In those 8 years, 320,340 births occurred, and researchers found that NICU utilization had decreased. However, researchers noted that it did not lead to an increase in readmissions or mortality.

For more information about this study and its additional findings, visit 

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NICU utilization trends have yet to be thoroughly investigated. 

New study analyzes NICU utilization trends

The updated list expands possible underlying medical conditions and removes the age threshold. At first, the CDC deemed older adults and those with underlying medical conditions to be most at-risk. The new list has removed the specific age threshold.

The updates also included an expansion of underlying medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes; an immuno-compromised state in individuals going through cancer treatment; poorly controlled HIV/AIDS; sickle cell disease; and severe obesity or BMI of 30 or higher.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

 also analyzed the at-risk potential of pregnant and non-pregnant women, finding that pregnant women were not at greater risk of death from COVID-19 than non-pregnant women. 

However, the study did determine that pregnant women were more likely to be hospitalized and admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU) than non-pregnant women.

For more information on the CDC’s updated list of risk factors, read the 

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated its list of demographics at higher risk for COVID-19, due to new evidence. 

Additional risk factors for COVID-19

There are numerous coding options when reporting visits other than traditional face-to-face visits.

details a variety of coding options telehealth practitioners should note, such as office codes, virtual check-ins, e-visits and more. For a complete list, visit the 

As telehealth becomes more and more prevalent in practices everywhere, there are many things practitioners need to know. 

Telehealth codes: What you should know

Researchers analyzed data from the United Kingdom’s Care of Next Infant (CONI) program, designed to provide additional care to families who had experienced SUDI following successful births.

Researchers found that the SUDI rate among siblings is 10 times higher than the current rate of SUDI in the UK, and that many parents continued habits such as smoking and hazardous co-sleeping conditions following the first incident of SUDI.

For additional details and findings, read the 

A new report in Archives of Disease in Children examined the rates of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) among families that occurred after a previous incident of SUDI. 

Author | Lindsey Carr

Articles

New study analyzes NICU utilization trends

Additional risk factors for COVID-19

Telehealth codes: What you should know

Recurrent SUDI and causes of death