A Clinical Study On Preterm Infants With Respiratory Failure

Objective To identify causes of respiratory failure, regularity of complication, and mortality risk factors for supplying reference for clinical prevention and cure, through collecting, summarizing and analyzing clinical data of preterm infants with respiratory failure in NICU.Methods The clinical chart of 516 preterm infants with respiratory failure cared in NICU of a certain tertiary centers in China during January 1,2008 to August 31,2009 were reviewed and the data was analyzed retrospectively with SPSS 13.0 software.Results 1.516 preterm infants with respiratory failure were surveyed in the study. The male were 381 cases, the female were 135 cases. The average gestational age was 32.5±2.8 weeks, and average birth weight was 1874±598g. Congenital anomalies were found in 93 cases.2. The most common causes of respiratory failure were respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary infection/septicaemia and transient tachypnea.3. The most common complications were pulmonary infection/septicemia, patent ductus arteriosus and main organ hemorrhage.4. Among these 516 preterm infants with respiratory failure,364 cases had a full recovery or were getting better,9 cases were transfered to the local hospitals after getting better,19 cases with respiratory failure died,124 cases gave up the treatment because of economic reasons or incurable diseases, and 73 cases died in the hospital after giving up the treatment, and it was verified that 23 among another 51 cases died and 28 cases survived (within 72 hours after giving up the treatment). The rate of mortality was 22.3%.5. The Logistic regression analysis showed congenital anomalies (OR=2.488), complicated periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (OR= 5.570)and pulmonary hemorrhage (OR=4.353), low birth weight [1500-2499g (OR=1.747),1000-1499g (OR=9.589),<1000g(OR= 39.143)], and single tracheal intubation ventilator assisted ventilation (OR= 10.702) were high risk factors independently associated with death in preterm infants.Conclusion The most common causes of respiratory failure were respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary infection/septicaemia and transient tachypnea. The most common complications were pulmonary infection/septicemia, patent ductus arteriosus and main organ hemorrhage. The Logistic regression analysis showed congenital anomalies, complicated periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage and pulmonary hemorrhage, low birth weight, and single tracheal intubation ventilator assisted ventilation were high risk factors independently associated with death in preterm infants.