Discharging Preterm Infants Home on Caffeine, a Single Center Experience

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Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
19:32

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol

Published on: February 18, 2012

28.9K

Cheng Ma1, Denisse Broadbent1,2, Garrett Levin1

  • 1Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso 4800, Alberta Avenue, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 3, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Discharging preterm infants home on caffeine for apnea of prematurity (AOP) appears safe. This practice did not increase emergency visits or hospitalizations, offering a viable option for stable neonates awaiting resolution of AOP and intermittent hypoxemia events.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Pediatric Pharmacology

Background:

  • Apnea of prematurity (AOP) and intermittent hypoxemia (IH) events are common in preterm neonates, often prolonging NICU stays.
  • Caffeine is a primary treatment for AOP and may mitigate IH events.
  • Limited literature exists on the safety of discharging preterm infants home on caffeine for AOP management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety and potential benefits of discharging preterm infants home on caffeine therapy for AOP.
  • To compare outcomes of infants discharged on caffeine versus those not prescribed caffeine at discharge.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study comparing preterm infants discharged on caffeine with those not on caffeine from January 2013 to December 2017.
  • Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained prior to data collection.

Main Results:

  • Out of 297 infants initiated on caffeine, 87 were discharged home on the medication.
  • No significant differences were observed in length of stay, emergency department visits, or hospitalizations between the groups.
  • The average duration of home caffeine therapy was 31 days, with associated costs for apnea monitors and caffeine.

Conclusions:

  • Discharging stable preterm infants on caffeine therapy for AOP and IH events is a potentially safe practice.
  • This approach may be particularly suitable for infants ready for discharge who are primarily awaiting resolution of respiratory events.

Keywords:
caffeinedischargepreterm infants

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