Effects of intervention program from prenatal period to delivery room on outcomes of extremely preterm infants / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the outcomes of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) after the implementation and quality improvement of an intervention program from the prenatal period to delivery room and the factors influencing the mortality of EPIs.Methods:This was a retrospective study involving 185 EPIs admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2021. The intervention program from the prenatal period to delivery room was implemented in our hospital in January 2018, according to which, EPIs who were admitted before this time were grouped as the historical group ( n=45) and those who were admitted after as the program group ( n=140). The survival rate and morbidity of the two groups were analyzed and compared using t test, Mann Whitney U test, and Chi-square test. The factors influencing the mortality of EPIs were analyzed by univariate screening and logistic regression. Results:(1) The median gestational age of these EPIs was 26 +6 weeks, ranging from 23 +3 to 27 +6 weeks, and the median birth weight was 950 g, ranging from 390 g to 1 290 g. (2) After the intervention, the proportion of patients in whom the neonatologists were involved in prenatal consultation, women who received a full course of antenatal corticosteroid and magnesium sulfate, and cesarean delivery as well as the neonatal temperature on admission to NICU all increased significantly [77.1% (108/140) vs 8.9% (4/45); 67.9% (95/140) vs 35.6% (16/45); 67.1% (94/140) vs 48.9% (22/45); 44.3% (62/140) vs 17.8% (8/45); 36.6 ℃ (36.3-36.9 ℃) vs 35.2 ℃ (35.0-35.3 ℃), respectively, χ2 or Z values were 66.41, 14.81, 4.85, 10.17 and－9.34, respectively, all P<0.05]. Both delayed cord clamping (DCC) and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) were included in the intervention program, with implementation rates from zero before to 67.9% (95/140) and 89.3%(125/140), respectively. Compared to the historical group, the proportion of infants with 1-minute Apgar score ≤3, endotracheal intubation in the delivery room or mechanical ventilation within 72 h after birth were decreased in the program group [7.1% (10/140) vs 17.8% (8/45), 37.1% (52/140) vs 73.3% (33/45), 38.6% (54/140) vs 57.8% (26/45), χ2 values were 4.39, 17.96 and 5.12, respectively. all P<0.05]. (3) After the intervention, the overall survival rate of EPIs and that among those with gestational age from 27 to 27 +6 weeks were significantly improved [72.9% (102/140) vs 53.3% (24/45), OR=2.349, P=0.015; 84.1% (53/63) vs 56.6% (13/23), OR=4.077, P=0.007]. Although the incidence of periventricular and intraventricular hemorrhage, late-onset sepsis, and retinopathy of prematurity showed a downward trend, the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05) (4) Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 1-minute Apgar score ≤3 ( OR=8.890, 95% CI2.005-39.412), low 5-minute Apgar score ( OR=1.468, 95% CI1.103-1.953), and higher rate of mechanical ventilation within 72 h ( OR=7.165, 95% CI2.942-17.449) were independent risk factors for the mortality of EPIs; and using nCPAP in the delivery room ( OR=0.314, 95% CI0.137-0.719) and birth weight ( OR=0.996, 95% CI0.993-0.999) were protective factors. Conclusions:Early interventions for EPIs in the prenatal period or the delivery room, the quality improvement program, including intrapartum temperature management, DCC, and nCPAP, is likely to improve the survival rate and outcome of EPIs.