Welcome to the 9th EAPS Congress Programme Scheduling

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Most very preterm infants need some form of resuscitation to survive the transition to newborn life. During this very vulnerable stage of life, inappropriate interventions increase the risk of death or long-term disability. To reduce the risk of lung and cerebral injury, the type of respiratory support in infants at birth has shifted from invasive (endotracheal intubation) to non-invasive ventilation (face mask). However, this shift has occurred without any scientific knowledge on the complexities of ventilating very preterm infants non-invasively. Recently was demonstrated that the larynx retains its fetal mode of function after birth and closes when the infant is not breathing, which blocks air from entering the lung. As the larynx only opens during a breath, the ability of NIV to assist lung aeration, depends on whether the infant is breathing. The solution to this complex problem is simple: optimise and support the infant’s breathing. During this presentation I will discuss the latest insights in the control of breathing at birth and how interventions affect breathing drive.

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Pediatric cardiac arrest is a rare event. It’s happening can be sometimes prevented, as it occurs as the result of accidents and severe illnesses. Caring for the rapidly deteriorating child is always a challenge.

Survival rates for both out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrests have not increased in the past 10 years and are always lower than desired. Changes in resuscitation guidelines have focused on the believe that implementing some differences can impact outcomes. Recovery with no neurological damage is the main aim of resuscitation.

International guidelines in pediatric resuscitation have recommended the implementation of some changes in every link of the chain of survival. Throughout this session, we will overview the major challenges to assess during resuscitation and discuss the different recommendations and the questions that are still to be solved. We will approach the controversies and try to define together a joint strategy to provide future guidelines with evidence in our goal of improving survival to cardiac arrest.