Abstract
We studied the effect of blood transfusion on the frequency of apnoea, bradycardia and hypoxaemia in 21 spontaneously breathing preterm infants with a median gestational age at birth of 28 (range 23–31) weeks. Age at time of study was 22 days (3–84), weight 925 g (640–2120). The patients exhibited frequent episodes of bradycardia and/or hypoxaemia and were anaemic (median haemoglobin level 109 (82–120) g/l). One infant received two transfusions and was thus studied twice. Four-hour recordings of pulse oximeter saturation (SpO2), pulse waveforms, transcutaneous oxygen pressure, electrocardiogram, breathing movements and nasal airflow were performed immediately before and after transfusion, and again after a further interval of 12 h. Recordings were analysed for isolated and periodic apnoeas (> 4 s), bradycardias (heart rate < 2/3 of baseline), and episodic desaturation (SpO2≤ 80%). There were no significant changes in the frequency, severity and/or duration of apnoea, bradycardia or desaturation following transfusion. The average SpO2 nadir reached during each desaturation, however, increased by 3% following transfusion (P < 0.05), and there was a trend towards shorter desaturations.
Conclusion The occurrence of frequent episodes of apnoea, bradycardia and/or hypoxaemia does not, on its own, justify a blood transfusion in moderately anaemic preterm infants.
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Received: 25 July 1996 / Accepted: 24 September 1996
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Poets, C., Pauls, U. & Bohnhorst, B. Effect of blood transfusion on apnoea, bradycardia and hypoxaemia in preterm infants. Eur J Pediatr 156, 311–316 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004310050607
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004310050607