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Use of Oxygen Cannulas in Extremely Low Birthweight Infants is Associated with Mucosal Trauma and Bleeding, and Possibly with Coagulase-negative Staphylococcal Sepsis

Journal of Perinatology volume 23, pages 94–97 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We studied the association between the use of oxygen cannulas (OCs) and (1) nasal bleeding and (2) coagulase-negative staphylococcal sepsis (CNSS).

STUDY DESIGN: Review of care sheets, with χ2 or sign-test group comparisons.

RESULTS: Infants treated with OCs were suctioned more frequently (2.6 vs 1.3 times per day, p<0.001), and had more bloody nasal secretions (34.6% vs 4.6%, p<0.05) that increased with increasing OC days. By 10 days, 90% of infants had experienced bloody secretions.

CNSS occurred less often in infants treated with oxyhoods than those on OC or CPAP (1 of 13, 8%, vs 10 of 44, 23%), but the difference was not significant. Eight of the 10 CNSS episodes clustered within 3 and 7 days of starting CPAP or cannula treatments.

CONCLUSION: OC use in extremely low birthweight infants is associated with nasal mucosal injury and bleeding. Studies are needed to see if use of OCs is a risk factor for CNSS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

    Arthur E Kopelman MD

  2. Department of Biostatistics, East Carolina University, School of Allied Health Sciences, Greenville, NC, USA

    Donald Holbert PhD

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  1. Arthur E Kopelman MD
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  2. Donald Holbert PhD
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Kopelman, A., Holbert, D. Use of Oxygen Cannulas in Extremely Low Birthweight Infants is Associated with Mucosal Trauma and Bleeding, and Possibly with Coagulase-negative Staphylococcal Sepsis. J Perinatol 23, 94–97 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210865

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