Thoracoabdominal Asynchrony Is Not Associated with Oxyhemoglobin Saturation in Recovering Premature Infants.

Background: Recovering premature infants are at risk for hypoxemia and lack of synchrony between their rib cage and abdomen due to airflow obstruction and poor respiratory compliance. Thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) is a useful marker of resistive and elastic lung properties. Whether TAA predicts oxygenation is unknown.

Sources of methodological variability in phase angles from respiratory inductance plethysmography in preterm infants.

Rationale: Better phenotypic descriptions are needed for chronic lung disease among surviving premature infants.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of respiratory inductance plethysmography in characterizing respiratory system mechanics in preterm infants at 32 weeks postmenstrual age.

Methods: Respiratory inductance plethysmography was used to obtain the phase angle, Φ, to describe rib cage and abdominal dyssynchrony in 65 infants born between 23 and 28 weeks gestation, all of whom were studied at 32 weeks postmenstrual age.