Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2008 Sep;18(3):243-252.

Analysis of Clinical Course and the Prognosis of Pulmonary Hypertension in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Single Center Study

• Kim JH
• Huh J
• Kang IS
• Lee SI
• Lee HJ
• Ahn KM

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of our study was to determine the clinical course and the prognosis of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
METHODS
Two hundred forty infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Samsung Medical Center from January 2002 to December 2006 and were diagnosed with BPD were enrolled in this study. We investigated their medical records retrospectively to investigate any difference between BPD with PHT group and BPD without PHT group in clinical characteristics, mortality and morbidity.
RESULTS
Nineteen (7.9%) of the 240 patients with BPD developed PHT. The ratio of females to males was 2.8:1. The severity of BPD, the small birth weight for gestational age, the duration of mechanical ventilation and the maximal peak inspiratory pressure were significantly associated with the development of PHT. (P=0.000, P=0.007 and P=0.000, respectively) The mortality was higher in the BPD with PHT group than in the BPD without PHT group. (P= 0.000) BPD with PHT group required longer duration of oxygen therapy and had more rehospitalization for respiratory illness than the others. (P=0.014) More patients were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit and received mechanical ventilation therapy in the BPD with PHT group. (P=0.001 and P=0.020, respectively)
CONCLUSIONS
PHT is one of the causes associated with high mortality and morbidity in BPD patients. Therefore, the physician should be alert to the development of PHT in premature infants with severe BPD, especially if the baby is female, less than 500 g of birth weight, small for gestational age, or supported by mechanical ventilation for a prolonged duration

Keyword

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; Pulmonary hypertension; Very low birth weight infant

MeSH Terms

Birth Weight
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Hypertension, Pulmonary
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
Intensive Care Units
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Male
Medical Records
Oxygen
Prognosis
Respiration, Artificial
Retrospective Studies
Oxygen