Objective: To determine whether a room air challenge (RAC) correlates with duration of respiratory support for infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
Study design: Prospective study of preterm infants with BPD from 2015 to 2018. Infants receiving ≤2 l flow at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) underwent RAC. Cox regression was used to adjust the duration of respiratory support after 36 weeks PMA for significant covariates.
Results: Of 161 infants with BPD, 91 were eligible for RAC; 51 passed and 40 failed. Infants who failed RAC had longer respiratory support after 36 weeks PMA than infants who passed (median 19 weeks (IQR 15-33) versus 2 weeks (IQR 1-8, p < 0.001)), which persisted after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio -1.42, 95% CI -1.94 to -0.91, p < 0.001). Infants failing RAC also had more frequent and longer duration of home oxygen use.
Conclusion: RAC may help provide anticipatory guidance regarding duration of respiratory support for infants with BPD.