Dynamic changes of pulmonary arterial pressure in perinatal neonates with pulmonary and extrapulmonary acute lung injury/respiratory distress syndrome

This study aims to explore the dynamic changes of pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and its clinical significance in prenatal neonates with pulmonary and extra-pulmonary acute lung injury/respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). A prospective study was conducted in the Neonate Intensive Care Unit (NICU) between May 2015 and April 2017. A total of 78 prenatal neonates with ALI/ARDS were selected and divided into 2 groups: pulmonary group (n = 37) and extra-pulmonary group (n = 41). These neonates were further divided into 3 groups according to the OSI index: mild, moderate, and severe groups. The dynamic changes of PAP were observed in these neonates. In the moderate and severe groups, PAP was significantly higher in neonates with pulmonary ALI/ADDS (ALI/ARDSp) than in neonates with extrapulmonary ALI/ARDS(ALI/ARDSexp) (62.5 ± 5.4 vs 68.0 ± 6.5, 54.7 ± 5.9 vs 64.2 ± 4.9; t = 3.264, 3.123; P = .004,.039). Furthermore, PAP was higher in neonates with ALI/ADDSp in the severe group, compared with those in the moderate group (t = 2.420, P < .05). There was significant difference among the 3 subgroups of neonates with ALI/ADDSexp (F = 60.100, P = .000). PAP was positively correlated with the OSI index (r = 0.823). The overall dynamic PAP monitoring results revealed that PAP was higher in the pulmonary group than that in the extrapulmonary group, and this exhibited a gradually decreasing trend as the condition of the subject improved. PAP in perinatal neonates with ALI/ARDS increases in varying degrees, and its extent was related to the severity of the illness. PAP was significantly higher in neonates with ALI/ADDSp than in neonates with ALI/ADDSexp. This can be used as a monitoring indicator for the severity of illness.