6568 Evaluation of respiratory support & outcomes in extreme preterm infants <28 weeks of gestation

Objectives Respiratory problems are common among extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks), requiring respiratory support after birth. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common respiratory morbidity of prematurity. Risk of ventilation-induced brain injury (VIBI) is higher due to a combination of high respiratory requirements and immature brain. We aimed to: -identify the type and duration of respiratory support required for preterm infants born at gestational ages (GA) between 23⁺⁰ and 27⁺⁶ weeks. -evaluate the respiratory outcomes of these infants at discharge, 9 months and 2 years corrected GA. Methods This is a retrospective observational study and data was collected from Badgernet, neonatal electronic patient record, over 4 years from January 2015 to December 2018. All consecutive preterm infants born in this tertiary hospital between GA of 23⁺⁰ weeks up to 27⁺⁶ weeks and admitted to neonatal intensive care unit from day 1 of life were included. Results A total of 130 infants were eligible for the study. Overall, 25 (19%) infants died during hospital stay, with highest mortality rate in those born at 23 GA (40%). Median duration of invasive ventilation for infants born at 23 GA (n=20) were 40 days compared to 9 days for those born at 27 GA (n=34). Median duration for non-invasive respiratory support (continuous positive airway pressure, high-flow oxygen, low-flow oxygen) were similar at around 70 days across all GA (figure 1). Upon discharge, 90% of infants <28 weeks GA require oxygen which decreases to 33% of infants at 9 months and 11% at 2 years of corrected GA (table 1). Conclusion All infants born between 23⁺⁰ to 27⁺⁶ weeks gestation required respiratory support at birth. The duration of respiratory support is inversely proportional to their gestational age. Most infants were discharged on home oxygen but were successfully weaned off oxygen support by 2 years of age.