“Golden Hour” quality improvement intervention and short-term outcome among preterm infants

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a quality improvement intervention during the first hour of life (“Golden Hour”) on short-term preterm neonatal outcome. Study design: A comprehensive protocol designed for initial stabilization and treatment of preterm infants that included cord blood sampling, use of a dedicated resuscitation room and improved team communication using Crew Resource Management tools. The infants admitted before and after implementation of the protocol were retrospectively compared in a matched case-control design. Results: There were 194 infants in the intervention group and 194 controls. Admission temperatures improved significantly from a mean of 35.26 °C to 36.26 °C (P < 0.001), and late-onset sepsis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia rates lowered significantly (P = 0.035 and P = 0.028, respectively) in the intervention group. There was trend towards reduction in early blood transfusion and ventilation duration. Conclusions: A “Golden Hour” quality improvement intervention was of significant benefit for preterm neonates. Further follow-up to assess long-term effects is warranted.