Clinical characteristics of the study population
| Group 1 (n = 59) | Group 2 (n = 78) | |
|---|---|---|
| Results are median (interquartile range) or number of cases (percentage). Group 1, infants not requiring inotrope treatment; group 2, infants requiring inotrope treatment. | ||
| *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.001 compared with group 1. | ||
| CRIB, Clinical risk index for babies. | ||
| Gestational age (weeks) | 29.4 (27.3–31.6) | 27.9 (26.1–29.5)** |
| Birth weight (g) | 1235 (1045–1360) | 1035 (777–1200)** |
| Sex (male/female) | 23 (39%): 36 (61%) | 49 (63%): 29 (37%)* |
| CRIB score | 1 (1–2) | 4 (2–7)** |
| Mode of delivery (vaginal:caesarean section) | 23 (39%):36 (61%) | 35 (45%):43 (55%) |
| Apgar scores | ||
| 1 min | 7 (6–8) | 6 (4–7)* |
| 5 min | 9 (8–9) | 8 (7–9)* |
| Inborn/outborn | 57 (97%):2 (3%) | 76 (97%):2 (3%) |
| Membrane ruptured > 24 h | 13 (22%) | 15 (19%) |
| Maternal pre-eclampsia | 9 (15%) | 9 (12%) |
| Antepartum haemorrhage | 7 (12%) | 15 (19%) |
| Doses of antenatal corticosteroids | 2 (1–4) | 1 (1–3)* |
| Time between the last dose of antenatal corticosteroids and delivery (h) | 19 (5–51) | 19 (4–52) |
| Duration of mechanical ventilation (days) | 10 (4–29) | 31 (16–44)** |
| Duration of O2 dependency (days) | 9 (1–26) | 18 (11–35)** |
| Duration of hospital stay (days) | 86 (65–107) | 92 (70–124) |
| Mean arterial blood pressure (mm Hg) | ||
| Lowest (first 14 days) | 28 (31–34) | 23 (21–26)** |
| Day 7 | 48 (42–54) | 38 (33–45)** |
| Day 14 | 45 (42–51) | 43 (38–49) |
| Volume expander (ml/kg) | 33 (14–68) | 76 (50–110)** |
| Age started on inotropes (h) | – | 7 (4–12) |
| Duration of inotrope support (h) | – | 112 (65–177) |
| Dopamine | ||
| Maximum dose (μg/kg/min) | – | 20 (10–30) |
| Total cumulative dose (μg/kg) | – | 75990 (31688–138325) |