Evaluation of Risk Factors for Postoperative Prolonged Intubation in Premature Infants After Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity

Received 20 January 2009; received in revised form 5 February 2010; accepted 10 February 2010.

Objective

Premature infants are more prone to cardiorespiratory complications after surgery than term infants. Risk factors for postoperative apnea include post-conception age, gestational age, postnatal age, birth weight, history of respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, anemia, necrotizing enterocolitis, use of opioids or nondepolarizing muscle relaxants, aminophylline use, history of apnea, body weight at operation, and pre-existing disease. The aim of this study was to identify the most important factors associated with postoperative extubation and respiratory outcomes among premature infants undergoing cryotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of 62 premature infants, with mean ± standard deviation gestational age of 26.4 ± 2.3 weeks, birth weight of 914.8 ± 208.5 g, postconception age of 37.0 ± 2.8 weeks, and body weight at the time of operation of 1970.0 ± 446.8 g, who underwent cryotherapy for ROP.

Results

Only 17 infants were successfully extubated within 2 hours after operation. The most predictive factor for successful or unsuccessful extubation was body weight at the time of operation.

Conclusion

Body weight at the time of operation was the most important factor associated with postoperative ventilatory support among premature infants under-going cryotherapy for ROP.

Key Words: anesthesia , apnea , cryotherapy , premature birth , retinopathy of prematurity

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Article Outline

• Abstract

• References

• Copyright

References

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a Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

b Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University and Department of Anesthesiology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

c Department of Anesthesiology, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

d Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Corresponding author. Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao Shung, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan, R.O.C.

PII: S1875-4597(10)60015-X

doi:10.1016/S1875-4597(10)60015-X

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