60 DERANGEMENT OF GASTRIC ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN PRETERM INFANTS DURING ILLNESS.

Abstract

Since vomiting due to gastric retention is a common feature in ill preterm infants and gastric motility is closely related to the electrical activity (EA) of the smooth muscle cells, we wished to measure EA of the stomach by electrogastrography (EGG) in 26 premature infants (gestational age range: 26-36 weeks), 16 without disturbances of organ systems (“healthy” preterm infants), 10 with disease processes and episodes of vomiting (“ill” preterm infants) (6 with disorders of the respiratory tract and 4 with sepsis). The EGG signals were recorded by 2 cutaneous Ag/AgCl electrodes placed sonographically on the skin overlying the gastric antrum with a third electrode as a reference. The EGG recording was performed 1 hour fasting and 1 hour after feeding an appropriate formula according to the preterm requirements. Data were analysed with the fast Fourier transformation. The following parameters were measured: 1)% of dominant frequency (DF) in different ranges (2-4 cpm: normal range; >4 ≤9 cpm: tachygastria; <2 cpm: bradygastria), during total (fasting and fed) recording period; 2) fed/fasting ratio of dominant power (power ratio); 3) fed/fasting instability of the dominant frequency (DFIC: dominant frequency instability coefficient). EGG data were compared with those recorded in 10 full-term newborns. Results: EA data are reported as follows (mean±SD): Table Conclusions: patterns of gastric EA in healthy preterm infants are similar to those detected in full-term babies; however, marked derangement of fasting and post-feeding electrical activity of the stomach occurs in preterm infants affected by disorders of organ systems. These abnormalities can underlie the gastric retention and vomiting observed in prematurity during illness.