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The relationship of p50 with clinical outcomes in ventilated preterm infants

Ourania Kaltsogianni1, Christopher Harris2, Stergios Nasikas2

  • 1Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|January 5, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The arterial oxygen tension at which haemoglobin is saturated at 50% (p50) was not higher in preterm infants who developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However, increased p50 was associated with intraventricular haemorrhage in ventilated preterm infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal physiology and respiratory medicine.

Background:

  • The p50, representing haemoglobin's oxygen saturation at 50% arterial oxygen tension, is a marker for respiratory disease severity.
  • Understanding factors influencing p50 in preterm infants is crucial for managing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if elevated p50 is associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and other prematurity complications in preterm infants.
  • To explore the relationship between p50 and specific adverse outcomes in ventilated preterm neonates.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 105 ventilated preterm infants (gestational age < 32 weeks) with central arterial access.
  • p50 measured in the first three days of life using automated blood gas analysis.
  • Outcomes assessed included BPD, intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC).

Main Results:

  • A median p50 of 3.34 kPa was observed in the study cohort.
  • Elevated p50 was significantly associated with IVH (adjusted OR: 2.9, p=0.020) after adjusting for gestational age.
  • No significant difference in p50 was found between infants who developed BPD, ROP, or NEC and those who did not.

Conclusions:

  • Increased p50 in the early postnatal period may be linked to intraventricular haemorrhage in ventilated preterm infants.
  • p50 does not appear to be a significant predictor for the development of BPD, ROP, or NEC in this cohort.
Abstract

Keywords:
blood gas analysisbronchopulmonary dysplasiaintraventricular haemorrhagerespiratory distress syndromeretinopathy of prematurity

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