Acute life threatening events among infants on home oxygen.
BACKGROUND
Chronic lung disease (CLD) of prematurity is associated with significant morbidity, and infants discharged home in oxygen are particularly vulnerable.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the incidence of acute life threatening events (ALTEs) during 12-month follow-up of CLD infants discharged home receiving supplemental oxygen.


METHODS
All infants discharged over a one-year period were studied. Pre-discharge oxygen requirements were set on clinical grounds. Before discharge, oxygen saturations were recorded blind using a data-logger. Infant's oxygen requirements, hospital attendances, and details of ALTEs were recorded over the subsequent year.


RESULTS
Sixteen infants were studied. Median (range): birth-weight 938 grams (448 - 1,638); gestational age 28 weeks (24 - 32); discharge oxygen requirement 0.20 litres/minute (0.05 - 0.50). Eight infants subsequently had one or more ALTEs. Discharge oxygen saturation profiles were significantly lower in these infant when compared to those not having ALTEs (p < 0.05), despite receiving supplementary oxygen.


CONCLUSIONS
Before discharge home, formal oxygen saturation studies should be performed in infants receiving supplementary oxygen to ensure optimum oxygen delivery.
Harrison
Gaynor
G
Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust, Liverpool.
Beresford
Michael
M
Shaw
Nigel
N
D000208:Acute Disease; D000359:Aftercare; D001724:Birth Weight; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000453:epidemiology; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D009017:Morbidity; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000458:organization & administration; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000451:nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012307:Risk Factors