Factors of late respiratory support or oxygen weaning in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

OBJECTIVES

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common complication in preterm infants. This study aimed at identifying factors associated with early or with late or weaning failure from respiratory support or oxygen (O) in preterm infants with BPD requiring respiratory support or O therapy after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted in the NICU of a tertiary hospital, in infants born before 32 weeks of gestation between 2012 and 2021, and discharged from the NICU with a respiratory support (tracheostomy [TT], invasive ventilation [IV], Non-IV [NIV], continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP], high flow nasal canula [HFNC]) or O therapy for BPD. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with early weaning (before 6 months postmenstrual age [PMA]) or late (after 6 months PMA) and weaning failure.

RESULTS

Among the 53 infants included (2% TT, 2% IV, 11% NIV, 25% CPAP or HFNC, 60% O at NICU discharge), 23 (43%) were weaned from respiratory support or O before 6 months PMA and 39 (73%) before 12 months PMA. IV duration during NICU stay and postnatal steroid treatment were identified as factors associated with a late or weaning failure (OR 1.03, p = .04 and OR 4.11, p = .023, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In this study, nearly half of preterm infants with severe BPD were weaned from respiratory support or O before 6 months PMA. IV duration and postnatal steroid treatment during NICU stay were associated with a late or weaning failure.