J Perinatol. 2025 Feb 22. doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02234-z. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Identify characteristics associated with death or tracheostomy (D/T) in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) predominantly managed with non-invasive respiratory support prior to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA).
STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia of 134 infants meeting inclusion criteria between 2010 and 2017. Various clinical characteristics were considered as predictor variables of the primary outcome, D/T; those associated at p < 0.10 in bivariable logistic regression were evaluated in multivariable models.
RESULTS: Twenty-one (16%) infants had D/T. Treatment with pulmonary vasodilators and the presence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) on echocardiogram at 36 weeks PMA were associated with D/T in bivariable analyses. Pulmonary vasodilator use remained statistically significant in adjusted multivariable models.
CONCLUSIONS: We identified a strong association between PH and D/T in this cohort. Our findings emphasize the importance of specialized BPD management that includes early identification of PH in this high-risk population.
PMID:39987378 | DOI:10.1038/s41372-025-02234-z
