Synchronized ventilation of very-low-birth-weight infants; report of 6 years' experience.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effects of long-term patient triggered ventilation (PTV) using assist/control or synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) in very-low-birth-weight infants with respiratory distress.

METHODS

Ninety-seven very-low-birth-weight infants who had undergone synchronized ventilation for respiratory distress or insufficiency were assessed from January 1995 to December 2000. Death, oxygen support, pneumothorax development while ventilated, intracranial hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, periventricular leukomalacia, retinopathy of prematurity and duration of ventilation were noted as the mean outcome measures.

RESULTS

The mean birth weight was 1139 +/- 268 g (range 450-1500 g) and the mean gestational age was 29.0 +/- 2.8 weeks (range 23-36 weeks). Eighty-four per cent of 97 infants survived. Antenatal steroids were administered to only 20% of mothers. Surfactant was administered to all of the 67% of infants with respiratory distress syndrome. The mean duration of ventilator support was 4.7 +/- 7.3 days (1-43 days) for survivors and 8.9 +/- 11 days (1-45 days) for infants who died. No respiratory paralysis was necessary in any case during ventilation and pneumothorax was diagnosed in only eight infants. Severe intracranial hemorrhage (grade > or = III) and periventricular leukomalacia developed in 15% and 12% of infants, respectively. Necrotizing enterocolitis (Bell's classification stage > or = 2) and retinopathy of prematurity were noted in two infants. Four infants had evidence of chronic lung disease. The rate of survival without major morbidity was 83.5%.

CONCLUSION

Patient-triggered ventilation, initially PTV with Asist/Control and subsequently with SIMV in very-low-birth-weight infants with respiratory distress is feasible, but optimization of trigger and ventilator performance with respect to respiratory diagnosis is essential.