Achieving oxygen saturation targets in preterm infants at birth: does using an SpO₂ target range help?

Neonatal resuscitation guidelines vary in their recommendations for oxygen saturation (SpO₂) targets – some use a single SpO₂ target, others use a target range. We conducted a prospective observational study collecting SpO₂ data on preterm infants born at <34 weeks’ gestation. The objective of our study was to determine if using a range, rather than a single SpO₂ target, would be more achievable during preterm infant resuscitation

Prakash Kannan Loganathan^1,2,3
Consultant Neonatologist
pkannanloganathan@nhs.net

Amelia Bearn¹
Paediatric Trainee

Vrinda Nair ^1,2
Consultant Neonatologist

Difu Shi^3,4
Postdoctoral Fellow in Data Science and Computational Cosmology

Carlton Baugh^3,4
Professor in Data Science and Computational Cosmology

¹Neonatal Unit, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough
²Clinical Academic office, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University
³Department of Physics, University of Durham
⁴Institute for Computational Cosmology, University of Durham

Loganathan PK., Bearn A., Nair V., Shi D., Baugh C. Achieving oxygen saturation targets in preterm infants at birth: does using an SpO₂ target range help? Infant 2023; 19(6): 227-30.

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Keywords

oxygen saturation; preterm infant; resuscitation; pulse oximetry

Key points

We collected SpO₂ and heart rate data for the first 10 minutes of life in 50 preterm infants.
Irrespective of using an SpO₂ target range or a single SpO₂ target, only a proportion of preterm infants achieve target SpO₂ during the first 10 minutes of life.

Also published in Infant:

VOLUME 15/ISSUE 3, MAY 2019

Home oxygen for infants leaving neonatal units: a nationwide survey

Home oxygen is widely prescribed for ex-preterm infants being discharged home with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Anecdotally, practice was felt to vary widely between neonatal units (NNUs) across the UK, despite British Thoracic Society guidance on home oxygen prescription. This survey is the most comprehensive to date, looking at variations in both pre- and post-discharge practices across the UK. It found that practice does indeed vary widely between NNUs and suggests that updating guidelines may be useful to help unify practice.

Achieving oxygen saturation targets in preterm infants at birth: does using an SpO2 target range help?

Achieving oxygen saturation targets in preterm infants at birth: does using an SpO₂ target range help?