#438 - 🔵 [PAS 2026] - Can Preventing Hypotension and Using Low-Dose Steroids Change the Course of Surgical NEC? (ft. Dr. Parvesh Garg)

Send us Fan MailDr. Parvesh Garg, neonatologist and researcher specializing in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in preterm infants, shares more than a decade of work on two of the most understudied organ systems in the NICU. He explains why surgical NEC is an independent risk factor for long-term neurodevelopmental impairment, how aggressively managing hypotension at the time of diagnosis may protect both the brain and the kidneys, and why the severity of NEC-associated AKI should be used as a prognostic tool in counseling families. He also presents early but fascinating laboratory findings suggesting that low-dose dexamethasone — unlike high doses — may help limit intestinal epithelial loss once NEC has set in, drawing a parallel to what therapeutic hypothermia does for HIE: the event has happened, but the inflammatory cascade may still be containable.Support the showAs always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: [email protected]. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below.Enjoy!