Nasal continuous positive airway pressure affects pre- and postprandial intestinal blood flow velocity in preterm infants

• Published in: Journal of Perinatology Vol. 27; no. 11; pp. 704 - 708
• Main Authors: Havranek, T, Madramootoo, C, Carver, J D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Nature Publishing Group 01.11.2007
• Subjects: Birth Weight; Blood flow; Blood Flow Velocity - physiology; Blood pressure; Cardiac Output - physiology; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; Coronary vessels; Enteral Nutrition; Female; Flow velocity; Gastrointestinal Motility - physiology; Gestational Age; Health aspects; Heart; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Impact tolerances; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infants (Premature); Intensive care; Intestine; Intestines - blood supply; Male; Mesenteric Artery, Superior - diagnostic imaging; Newborn babies; Physiological aspects; Positive pressure respiration; Postprandial Period - physiology; Premature babies; Prospective Studies; Respiratory tract; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; Vascular Resistance - physiology; Velocity; Ventricle; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0743-8346; 1476-5543
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.jp.7211808

To measure the effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on intestinal blood flow velocity responses to enteral feedings and left ventricular output (LVO). Eighteen infants completed the study (birth weight 1793+/-350 g, gestational age 32.1+/-1.1 weeks). On the day infants were weaned from CPAP to room air, pre- and postprandial (0, 30, 60 and 90 min after feeding) mean velocity (MV), peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured for one feeding given when receiving CPAP ('on CPAP'), and for one feeding given after CPAP had been discontinued ('off CPAP'). Preprandial LVO was measured before and after CPAP discontinuation. MV and PSV were significantly lower when infants were on CPAP (P<0.05). Maximum postprandial MV, PSV and EDV occurred at 30 min when on CPAP and at 60 min when off CPAP. Preprandial LVO was similar when infants were on and off CPAP. CPAP administration affects pre- and postprandial intestinal blood flow velocity, which may impact tolerance to enteral feedings.