Impact of a Physiologic Definition on Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Rates

OBJECTIVE: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the endpoint of many intervention trials in neonatology, yet the outcome measure when based solely on oxygen administration may be confounded by differing criteria for oxygen administration between physicians. We previously reported a technique to standardize the definition of BPD between sites by using a timed room-air challenge in selected infants. We hypothesized that a physiologic definition of BPD would reduce the variation in observed rates of BPD among different neonatal centers. Methodology. A total of 1598 consecutive inborn premature infants (501-1249 g birth weight) who remained hospitalized at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age were prospectively assessed and…

• NI
  National Institutes of Health