Respiratory complications associated with cryotherapy in premature infants.

We reviewed the frequency of respiratory complications associated with cryotherapy in 14 premature infants who underwent 17 cryotherapy procedures. Five of the procedures were performed on infants already being mechanically ventilated. Two of these infants required increased ventilatory support during and following the procedure for decreased spontaneous respirations. For the 12 procedures performed on 11 infants who were not being mechanically ventilated at the time of cryotherapy, four infants had no complications, three infants had minor respiratory deteriorations, and five infants required positive pressure ventilation for severe apnea and bradycardia episodes (one just after narcotic administration, four during the procedure). Excluding the three infants (five procedures) who were already receiving mechanical ventilation at the time of cryotherapy, the infants who had severe apnea requiring the initiation of positive pressure ventilation weighed less and were younger than those infants not having a serious respiratory complication (p less than 0.05).