Presurgical pulmonary function tests in the first few days of life in neonates with congenital heart disease, a pilot study

Abstract

ObjectiveTo compare early pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in neonates with critical congenital heart disease (CHD) compared to a historical reference group. DesignInfants > 37 weeks gestation with critical CHD were studied within the rst few days of life and prior to cardiac surgery and compared to data from a published reference group. Passive respiratory resistance (Rrs) and compliance (Crs) were measured with the single breath occlusion technique following speci c acceptance criteria. The study was powered for a 30% difference in Rrs. ResultsPFTs in 24 infants with CHD were compared to 31 historical reference infants. There was no difference in the Rrs between the groups. The infants with CHD had a signi cantly decreased Crs (1.02 ± 0.26 mL/cmH2O/kg versus 1.32 ± 0.36; (p < 0.05; mean ± SD)). ConclusionsFurther prospective studies are required to quantify early PFTs in infants with CHD of different phenotypes.