What Are Risk Factors for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia?

Discussion Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was first described in 1967 by Northway et.al. At that time it was described as “relatively mature preterm infants with severe respiratory failure to survive their initial respiratory distress syndrome after receiving aggressive respiratory support with high oxygen and positive pressure ventilation. Their clinical course was characterized by severe chronic respiratory failure with a radiographic picture showing areas of hyperinflation alternating with adjacent increased densities.” This is often referred to as “Old BPD.” Over time more has been learned and improvements in care of preterm and term infants has occurred. “New BPD” occurs in younger preterm infants but they are treated with antenatal steroids, surfactant and gentler methods of mechanical ventilation. Pathologically the lung has less emphysema, fibrosis, smooth muscle hypertrophy and epithelial metaplasia. There are various specific definitions especially for BPD severity, but basically it is defined as the need for chronic supplemental oxygen. Usually this is for more than 28 days and the need for oxygen at 36 weeks corrected gestation. In extremely low birth weight premature infants (<28 weeks gestation) about 40% develop BPD. The lung embryologically undergoes changes that are characterized as increased branching of the airway tubules, differentiation of the airway cells, and thinning of the cellular walls of the lung. Many prete...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news