Non-invasively derived respiratory severity score and oxygenation index in ventilated newborn infants.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between the respiratory severity score (RSS) and oxygenation index (OI) in intubated, mechanically ventilated, newborn infants.


METHODS
In a retrospective cohort study (December 2006 to June 2010) medical records of all infants who were admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and required invasive mechanical ventilation were reviewed for patients' demographics, ventilator settings, and arterial blood gas (ABG).


RESULTS
During the study period 2,332 infants were admitted to our NICU, and 425 infants were intubated and had an ABG with a gestational age of 30.5 ± 4.9 weeks and a birth weight of 1,635 ± 923 g (mean ± standard deviation). There was a strong association between RSS and OI in infants with oxygen saturation (SaO2 ) between 88% and 94% (R2  = 0.982, n = 101; P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In intubated newborn infants, there is a strong association between RSS and OI at SaO2 between 88% and 94%.
Department of Pediatrics, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44109, USA.
Narayan P
NP
Iyer
Maroun J
MJ
Mhanna
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; D010100:Oxygen