Relevance of clinical features in the prognosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants

The aim of this study is to determine the accuracy rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) diagnosis and risk factors of short-term poor prognosis for premature infants. This study analyzed the clinical data of 81 premature infants (<32 weeks gestational age) with BPD, who were on oxygen therapy >28 days, and survived >36 weeks (corrected age). Outcome measures included treatments, conditions on the 28th day after birth, oxygen therapy conditions at the 36th week, occurrence of any serious complications during hospital stay. The major risk factors affecting prognosis were ventilation duration, duration of oxygen therapy, application of steroids, hypothyroidism and severity of BPD (all P<0.05). Interventions for complications (n=53) resulted in ceased inhalation of oxygen in 12 infants, improvement of symptoms in 26 infants, and were ineffective in 15 infants. BPD prognosis can be improved by shortening the duration of invasive ventilation and correcting thyroid function.