RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DETERMINANTS OF OXYGEN DELIVERY AND RESPIRATORY ABNORMALITIES IN PRETERM INFANTS WITH ANEMIA

To study the relationship between anemia and breathing abnormalities in preterm infants, we measured oxygen supply and demand in two groups of anemic infants less-than-or-equal-to 32 weeks of gestational age. Six-second apnea density was < 1% in one group and greater-than-or-equal-to 5% in the other. There were no differences in hemoglobin concentration, available oxygen, oxygen consumption, or Doppler-determined cardiac output between the two groups of infants. Furthermore, in anemic preterm infants with apnea density greater-than-or-equal-to 5%, reductions in 6-second apnea density were similar after erythrocyte transfusion (mean +/- SEM: from 8.6% +/- 1.1% to 4.7% +/- 0.7%) or after an isovolemic infusion of 5% albumin (from 9.0% +/- 1.4% to 4.7% +/- 0.7%). These results show no relationship between measures of oxygen delivery and respiratory irregularities, and indicate that volume expansion may play a role in ameliorating the pneumocardiogram abnormalities.