Respiratory distress syndrome: influence of management on the hemodynamic status of ≤ 32-week preterm infants in the first 24 hours of life

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of respiratory distress syndrome management on clinical and echocardiographic parameters used for hemodynamic evaluation in ≤ 32- week newborns. METHODS: Thirty-three ≤ 32-week newborns were prospectively evaluated and subjected to invasive mechanical ventilation. The need for exogenous surfactant and clinical and echocardiographic parameters in the first 24 hours of life was detailed in this group of patients. RESULTS: The mean airway pressure was significantly higher in newborn infants who required inotropes [10.8 (8.8 - 23) cmH(2)O versus 9 (6.2 - 12) cmH(2)O; p = 0.04]. A negative correlation was found between the mean airway pressure and velocity-time integral of the pulmonary artery (r = -0.39; p = 0.026), right ventricular output (r = -0.43; p = 0.017) and measurements of the tricuspid annular plane excursion (r = -0.37; p = 0.036). A negative correlation was found between the number of doses of exogenous surfactant and the right ventricular output (r = -0.39; p = 0.028) and pulmonary artery velocity-time integral (r = -0.35; p = 0.043). CONCLUSION: In ≤ 32-week newborns under invasive mechanical ventilation, increases in the mean airway pressure and number of surfactant doses are correlated with the worsening of early cardiac function. Therefore, more aggressive management of respiratory distress syndrome may contribute to the hemodynamic instability of these patients.