Respiratory function monitoring during early resuscitation and prediction of outcomes in prematurely born infants.

Objectives: Over the last decade, there has been increased use of end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO) and oxygen saturation (SpO) monitoring during resuscitation of prematurely born infants in the delivery suite. Our objectives were to test the hypotheses that low end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO) levels, low oxygen saturations (SpO) and high expiratory tidal volumes (VT) during the early stages of resuscitation would be associated with adverse outcomes in preterm infants.

Methods: Respiratory recordings made in the first 10 min of resuscitation in the delivery suite of 60 infants, median GA 27 (interquartile range 25-29) weeks were analysed. The results were compared of infants who did or did not die or did or did not develop intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Results: Twenty-five infants (42%) developed an ICH and 23 (47%) BPD; 11 (18%) died. ETCO at approximately 5 min after birth was lower in infants who developed an ICH, this remained significant after adjusting for gestational age, coagulopathy and chorioamnionitis (p=0.03). ETCO levels were lower in infants who developed ICH or died compared to those that survived without ICH, which remained significant after adjustment for gestational age, Apgar score at 10 min, chorioamnionitis and coagulopathy (p=0.004). SpO at approximately 5 min was lower in the infants who died compared to those who survived which remained significant after adjusting for the 5-min Apgar score and chorioamnionitis (p=0.021).

Conclusions: ETCO and SpO levels during early resuscitation in the delivery suite were associated with adverse outcomes.