Dr. Leslie Parker is a Professor in the College of Nursing and an adjunct Professor in the College of Medicine. She has had an active practice as a nurse practitioner in the neonatal intensive care unit for the last 30 years where she cares for critically ill infants and their families. Dr. Parker directs one of the few research programs dedicated to developing strategies to improve the nutritional health of premature and critically ill infants. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and distinguished by interdisciplinary team science bridging nursing, medicine, microbiology, and public health across the University of Florida and globally.
Dr. Parker's research focuses on two important areas of neonatal care;
(1) Optimal delivery of nutrition
(2) Increasing infant consumption of breast milk by improving lactation success in their mothers. Because optimal nutrition including high doses of mother's own breast milk decreases the risk of potentially preventable serious complications, her work has made significant and long-lasting contributions to improving the health of premature and critically ill infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Parker has developed nutritional strategies that health care providers have integrated into their daily practice thus improving short and long-term health outcomes of the most vulnerable patients.
Until recently, routine monitoring of gastric residuals has been standard care in most neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Rationale for this practice includes early recognition of feeding intolerance and necrotizing enterocolitis. However, gastric residuals are often used to direct feeding decisions and thus their use can result in delays and interruptions in feeding resulting in an increased risk of complications. Recent evidence suggests that the routine monitoring of gastric residuals prior to every feeding may not be clinically necessary and other clinical indicators may be sufficient to monitor for feeding intolerance and necrotizing enterocolitis. This presentation will describe practices clinicians are currently using to monitor gastric residuals In addition, an overview of current evidence including the risks and benefits of monitoring gastric residuals, alternatives to monitoring gastric residuals, and how to best change unit practice in order to decrease the routine use of aspirating and evaluating gastric residuals prior to every feeding will be presented.
Because preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are too immature to orally feed, they require a feeding tube (FT) for weeks to months to meet their nutritional needs. These FTs are a reservoir for pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria that may increase the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, late onset sepsis and feeding intolerance. In the neonatal intensive care unit, guidelines regarding FT dwell time are non-existent and FTs are often not replaced for weeks following insertion. As with other external devices, such as central venous lines and urinary catheters, the risk of bacterial contamination increases the longer the device remains in place. Contaminated FTs can cause gastrointestinal microbial dysbiosis and inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of complications including necrotizing enterocolitis, late onset sepsis and feeding intolerance. This presentation will provide an overview of FT contamination and the evidence surrounding the optimal FT dwell time to decrease FT contamination and improve infant health.
To Continue, Please Select Your Country of Residence
Whoops! Please select your Country before clicking "Submit"
The GOLD Learning Lecture Library is a unique & convenient resource for Healthcare Professionals, Researchers, Students and other Educators looking to stay up to date on the latest evidence-based skills and practices. Country Category pricing has been determined by World Bank Economic Indicators. Proof of residency may be requested. Learn more about our Category Pricing Here.
GOLD Learning Speakers
