Clinical utility of echocardiography in bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a retrospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a prevalent chronic lung disease in preterm infants, often associated with cardiopulmonary complications and adverse outcomes.
• Identifying BPD early is crucial for timely intervention and improved patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare echocardiographic parameters at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) between preterm infants with and without BPD.
• To assess the utility of echocardiography in identifying BPD in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study of 94 preterm infants (gestational age < 32 weeks) was conducted.
• Infants were categorized into Non-BPD and BPD groups based on 2018 NICHD criteria.
• Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) assessed left ventricular (LV), right ventricular (RV), and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters at 36 weeks PMA.

Main Results:

• Infants with BPD exhibited prolonged mechanical ventilation duration compared to the non-BPD group.
• Significant cardiac dysfunction was observed in BPD infants, including reduced LV ejection fraction (LVEF), impaired mitral inflow (MV-E, MV-E/A ratio), decreased RV function (TAPSE, FAC), and abnormal TDI parameters.
• These differences in biventricular systolic and diastolic function were statistically significant (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Echocardiographic parameters demonstrate significant differences in biventricular systolic and diastolic function between preterm infants with and without BPD.
• These findings highlight the potential of echocardiography as a valuable tool for the identification and assessment of BPD in preterm neonates.