title: Temporal relationship between pauses in nasal airflow and desaturation in preterm infants.
abstract: Physiological recordings were undertaken to study the temporal relationship between apnea, defined as pauses in nasal airflow (PNA), and desaturation in preterm infants. Seventeen infants with a history of apnea of prematurity were studied on 21 occasions. Median (range) birthweight was 1,180 g (575-2,475) and gestation was 30 weeks (26-33). Median age at time of study was 10 days (range, 2-52). Arterial beat to beat oxygen saturation (SaO(2)), photoplethysmographic waveform, electrocardiogram, abdominal and ribcage breathing movements, and nasal airflow were recorded. Falls in SaO(2) > or = 3% occurring during or after a PNA > or = 4 seconds were recorded. Episodes of periodic breathing were excluded from this analysis. Four hundred and sixteen episodes of PNA and desaturation were analyzed. Application of a definition of "outliers" for non-parametric data suggested an association when the desaturation occurred up to 7.20 seconds after the end of the PNA for infants nursed in air. For infants on oxygen treatment, a temporal association was suggested when desaturation occurred up to 9.76 seconds after the end of PNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, North Staffordshire Hospital, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Watkin
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pryce
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Southall
mesh_terms: D001049:Apnea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen