The application value of lung ultrasound findings in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between ultrasound findings and preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). METHODS: Preterm infants with a gestation age of less than 28 weeks or birthweight less than 1,500 g admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the Chengdu Women’s & Children’s Central Hospital from June 2018 to June 2019 were enrolled in the study and divided into 2 groups: the BPD group and the non-BPD group. All clinical data and lung ultrasound were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 81 neonates (gestational age =29.71±2.27 weeks; birth weight =1,189.5±184.5 g) were enrolled in our center. The regression analysis showed that gestational age [odds ratio (OR) =0.57; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42–0.77, P=0.0002], birthweight (OR =0.99; 95% CI: 0.99–1.00, P<0.0001), mild asphyxia (OR =3.3; 95% CI: 1.24–8.74, P=0.0165), anemia (OR =4.43; 95% CI: 1.34–14.64, P=0.0146), blood transfusion (OR =3.68; 95% CI: 1.38–9.79, P=0.0090), respiratory failure (OR =6.58; 95% CI: 1.27–34.08, P=0.0486), heart failure (OR =6.58; 95% CI: 1.27–34.08, P=0.0248), and “debris” lung ultrasound findings (OR =21.82; 95% CI: 2.63–181.11, P=0.0043) were correlated with BPD. CONCLUSIONS: BPD-related lung ultrasound findings can be a kind of imaging marker to diagnose BPD.