Capnography in spontaneously breathing preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Background: In adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, there is a gradient between end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO(2)) and arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO(2)), and the slope of the ascending phase of the capnogram is decreased due to obstruction. Corresponding data are lacking in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Objectives: To compare PCO(2) -EtCO(2) gradient and capnogram shape in two groups of spontaneously breathing preterm subjects: infants with BPD and infants without respiratory disease (controls).