Failed extubation in preterm infants: outcome and predictors

Extubation failure is common in extreme preterm infants and prediction of successful extubation is limited. This presentation is of the post-hoc analysis of prospectively collected data from a randomised trial to identify risk factors and outcome associated with unsuccessful extubation in preterm infants less than 32 weeks.

Dr Prashant Mallya¹

Dr Prakash Kannan Loganathan^1,2
(ORCID: 0000-0003-3717-8569)
pkannanloganathan@nhs.net

Professor Samir Gupta^3,4

¹Neonatal Unit, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough
²Clinical Academic Office, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University
³University of Durham
⁴Division of Neonatology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar

Mallya P., Loganathan P.K., Gupta S. Failed extubation in preterm infants: outcome and predictors. Infant 2025; 21(4): 112-16.

Full text available by subscription ...

The full text of this article is available to subscribers in text, and in Tablet/iPad format and as a PDF file.

Please subscribe and log in to see the full article.

Keywords

bronchopulmonary dysplasia; mechanical ventilation; extubation; minute ventilation test; preterm

Key points

Mechanical ventilation has been associated with adverse outcomes like bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Up to 50% of extreme preterm infants fail extubation and predictive tools have limited value.
In our study, lower oxygen at the time of extubation (FiO₂) and higher birth weight predicted successful extubation.
Duration of mechanical ventilation and not reintubation episodes, was found to be significantly associated with poor outcome.

Also published in Infant:

VOLUME 19 ISSUE 5/SEPTEMBER 2023

Is surfactant administration via a supraglottic airway device as effective and safe as via a thin catheter in the trachea?

Less invasive techniques for surfactant administration in preterm infants are known to reduce the need for mechanical ventilation, decrease the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and improve outcomes for preterm infants. This study compares two methods of surfactant administration performed in a non-tertiary neonatal unit: surfactant administration via a supraglottic airway device and administration into the trachea via a thin catheter.