The effectiveness of pulmonary hypertension screening in infants born preterm

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a significant concern in preterm infants.
• Early detection and management of PH are crucial for improving outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an updated pulmonary hypertension (PH) screening guideline on morbidity and NICU length of stay in preterm infants.
• To assess if implementing a standardized PH screening protocol enhances early PH detection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort chart review comparing infants born <32 weeks gestational age before and after guideline implementation.
• Standardized criteria were used to determine screening eligibility and PH diagnosis.
• NICU and post-discharge outcomes were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The post-screening epoch showed a higher incidence of PH diagnoses (16.5% vs. 11.5%) at a younger median post-natal age.
• Infants diagnosed with PH in the post-screening group were discharged younger (median 113.5 days) and at an earlier corrected gestational age.
• More echocardiograms were performed in the post-screening group, indicating increased diagnostic efforts.

Conclusions:

• A PH screening protocol involving a multidisciplinary team may increase PH detection in at-risk preterm infants.
• The implemented screening protocol was associated with a shorter NICU stay for infants diagnosed with PH.