ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Transient episodes of apnea and bradycardia are common in preterm infants. Pronounced asystole or sinus arrest, however, is relatively rare and the clinical significance of such events is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to: (1) evaluate the prevalence of severe bradycardic and asystolic events in infants studied with polygraphic cardiorespiratory monitoring, (2) characterize these events, and (3) correlate the events with other clinical findings. METHODS: A total of 583 studies were performed in 454 preterm infants at a post-conceptional age 37.4 +/- 2.5 (range 34-42 weeks). Asystolic pauses were defined as no QRS complex for >or=3 s consistent with a heart rate <20 beats per minute (bpm). Severe bradycardia was defined as no QRS for >or=2 s consistent with a heart rate of 21-30 bpm. RESULTS: Eight infants (29.5 +/- 3.9 weeks' gestational age, birth weight 1,283 +/- 445 g) met the criteria of having had at least 1 asystolic event (heart rate Subject(s)
Bradycardia/epidemiology
, Heart Arrest/epidemiology
, Infant, Premature, Diseases/epidemiology
, Birth Weight
, Bradycardia/diagnosis
, Gastroesophageal Reflux/epidemiology
, Gestational Age
, Heart Arrest/diagnosis
, Heart Rate
, Humans
, Infant, Newborn
, Infant, Premature, Diseases/diagnosis
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As part of the Collaborative Home Infant Monitoring Evaluation, a home monitor was developed to record breathing, heart rate, other physiologic variables, and the time the monitor was used. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of monitor use, factors that influence use, and validity of a model developed to predict use. DESIGN: We developed a model to predict monitor use using multiple linear regression analysis; we then tested the validity of this model to predict adherence for the first week of monitoring and for the subsequent 4-week period (weeks 2-5). SETTING: Clinical research centers in Chicago, Ill; Cleveland, Ohio; Honolulu, Hawaii; Los Angeles, Calif; and Toledo, Ohio. Patients Preterm infants, infants younger than 1 month with a history of autopsy-confirmed sudden infant death syndrome in a sibling, and infants with an idiopathic apparent life-threatening event were divided into 2 cohorts based on enrollment date. Main Outcome Measure Mean hours of monitor use per week. RESULTS: In cohort 1, the variables available before monitoring were only weakly associated with total hours of monitor use in weeks 2 to 5 (total model r(2) = 0.08). However, when hours of monitor use in week 1 were included as a variable to predict monitor use in weeks 2 to 5, the r(2) increased to 0.64 for hours of monitor use per week. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that monitor use in the first week was the most important variable for predicting subsequent monitor use. The study suggests that a major focus of home monitoring should be adherence in the first week, although it remains to be tested whether this adherence can be altered.
Subject(s)
Home Nursing , Monitoring, Physiologic/instrumentation , Patient Compliance , Sleep Apnea Syndromes/diagnosis , Sudden Infant Death/prevention & control , Adolescent , Adult , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Linear Models , Male , Marital Status , Parents/psychology , Polysomnography , Reproducibility of Results , Respiratory System Agents/therapeutic use , United States , Xanthines/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Apnoea is common in the newborn period and especially in preterm newborns. Bradycardia and desaturation of oxyhaemoglobin typically occur with apnoea. These abnormalities reflect an immature cardiorespiratory system and resolution of this immaturity can be expected within a predictable time frame. Infants who have apnoea in the newborn period are thought not to be at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Whether apnoea episodes are associated with a higher incidence of long-term handicap for these infants is not yet clear.
