USF-LVHN SELECT

An Outpatient Methadone Weaning Program by a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Publication/Presentation Date

4-21-2017

Abstract

Through retrospective chart review, this study described characteristics and length of stay for a cohort of newborns discharged on methadone following an inpatient weaning for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Data were assessed for all term infants born between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014, admitted to the hospital with a co-diagnosis of NAS at discharge, for gestational age, length of stay, days on treatment protocol before discharge, time to once-daily interval methadone dosing, and hospital charges, as well as for categorical characteristics. The 53 patients were predominantly male (58%), white (71%), and covered by Medicaid insurance (72%). Mean gestational age was 39.5 ± 1.1 weeks; length of hospital stay was 11.8 ± 5 days. Common co-diagnoses were newborn feeding problems (26%) and neonatal hypoglycemia (23%). In conclusion, use of the study site's methadone weaning protocol, which can be easily replicated, resulted in a relatively short length of stay and low readmission rates for these patients.

Volume

20

Issue

5

First Page

397

Last Page

401

ISSN

1942-7905

Disciplines

Medical Education | Medicine and Health Sciences | Pediatrics

PubMedID

28430046

Department(s)

Department of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics Faculty, USF-LVHN SELECT Program, USF-LVHN SELECT Program Faculty, USF-LVHN SELECT Program Students

Document Type

Article

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