Evaluation of respiratory outcomes in pre-term infants receiving nCPAP versus surfactant and mechanical ventilation during transport.

The initial respiratory treatment for premature infants is trending toward nCPAP but this therapy sometimes fails requiring surfactant plus mechanical ventilation. This retrospective review of respiratory interventions by referral hospitals and a neonatal transport team evaluated predictors of respiratory support at 72 hours. A unique variable of time between birth and transport arrival was added to the multivariate regression model. This study confirmed that gestational age and high levels of respiratory support in the first hours of life are strong predictors for higher levels of respiratory support at 72 hours. Time to transport arrival was not a factor. The transport team has trended toward utilizing nCPAP more often over the past two years.