65 Randomized Trial of High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation Versus Conventional Ventilation: A 3 Year Follow-Up

Abstract

Background: The long term outcome of children enrolled into neonatal trials designed to compare the effects of high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) versus conventional ventilation (CV) has been rarely studied. Objective: To assess respiratory, growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3 years of age in infants born at GA ≤30 weeks enrolled in a randomized controlled trial designed to compare the short term respiratory outcomes of HFOV versus CV. Methods: Surviving infants (35/40) were followed until 3 years of age and evaluated for health history, growth and neurodevelopmental outcome. Results: All the survivors of the original cohort were assessed in the follow-up at a mean age of 36.9 ± 3.6 months. Between HFOV (n:19) and CV (n:16) group there were no differences in the frequency of hospital readmissions, pulmonary illness and growth; no statistically significant differences were detected in major cranial ultrasound abnormalities (31.6 vs 37.5%), cerebral palsy (15.8 vs 12.5 %), major neurosensory impairment (10.5 vs 6.3%), IQ scores (94.8 ± 18.8 vs 96.4 ± 12.8) and behavioural abnormalities (26.3 vs 31.2%).1 Conclusions: In our cohort the early use of HFOV compared to CV has no impact on respiratory, growth and neurodevelopmental morbidity at 3 years of age.