Objective
To determine if multidisciplinary team-based care of severe BPD/CLD infants improve survival to discharge.
Design/methods
Retrospective review of severe BPD/CLD infants cared for by dedicated multidisciplinary CLD team using consensus-driven protocols and guidelines.
Results
Total of 267 patients. Median gestational age was 26 weeks (IQR 24, 32); median birth-weight was 0.85 (IQR 0.64, 1.5). Twenty-four percent were preterm with severe BPD, 46% had other primary respiratory diseases (none BPD diseases). Total number of patients, proportion of patients with tracheostomy, prematurity, and genetic diagnoses increased over time. 88.8% survived to discharge. Unadjusted logistic regression showed that tracheostomy was not associated with odds of death; secondary pulmonary hypertension was associated with odds of tracheostomy (OR = 1.795
p
value = 0.0264), or death (OR = 8.587
p
value = <0.0001), or tracheostomy + death (OR = 13.58
p
value = 0.0007).
Conclusions
Over time, mortality improved for infants with tracheostomy cared for by a multidisciplinary severe BPD/CLD team. Secondary pulmonary hypertension was associated with tracheostomy, or death, or tracheostomy + death.