Table 3.
Clinical characteristics of infants treated with caffeine in the delivery room versus a historical control group
| Caffeine group (n = 38) | Control group (n = 38) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age (week) | 27.7 ± 1.2 | 27.4 ± 1.3 | 0.299 |
| Birth weight (g) | 993 ± 215 | 982 ± 220 | 0.826 |
| Female | 22 (58) | 26 (68) | 0.476 |
| Antenatal steroids | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 1.000 |
| Vaginal delivery | 10 (26) | 8 (21) | 0.788 |
| Apgar score at 5 min | 8 (5–9) | 8 (6–9) | |
| Peak FiO2 | 0.55 ± 0.25 | 0.48 ± 0.22 | 0.199 |
| Peak MAP (cm H2O) | 7.5 ± 3.8 | 8.5 ± 2.4 | 0.174 |
| Respiratory distress syndrome | 30 (79) | 32 (84) | 0.768 |
| Non-invasive ventilation | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 1.000 |
| Mechanical ventilation < 72 h of age | 7 (18) | 7 (18) | 1.000 |
| Age at the start (h) | 26 ± 32 | 24 ± 21 | 0.748 |
| Mechanical ventilation during hospitalisation | 13 (34) | 11 (29) | 0.805 |
| Surfactant | 29 (76) | 30 (79) | 1.000 |
| Postnatal steroids | 9 (47) | 2 (5) | 0.047 |
| Patent ductus arteriosus | 22 (58) | 24 (63) | 0.815 |
| Severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia | 2 (5) | 3 (8) | 1.000 |
| Necrotising enterocolitis | 2 (5) | 0 | 0.493 |
| Sepsis | 15 (39) | 10 (26) | 0.329 |
| 3°–4° grade intraventricular haemorrhage | 5 (13) | 2 (5) | 0.430 |
| > 3° grade retinopathy of prematurity | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| Death | 3 (8) | 1 (3) | 0.615 |
| Duration of NICU stay (day) | 45 ± 21 | 40 ± 20 | 0.291 |
| Duration of hospital stay (day) | 78 ± 27 | 77 ± 22 | 0.860 |
| Placental abruption | 4 (11) | 4 (11) | 1.000 |
| Clinical chorioamnionitis | 2 (5) | 2 (5) | 1.000 |
| Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy | 6 (16) | 9 (24) | 0.567 |
| pPROM > 18 h | 18 (47) | 16 (42) | 0.818 |
Mean (± SD), rate (%), or median (interquartile range)
MAP mean airway pressure, NICU neonatal intensive care unit, pPROM prolonged premature rupture of membranes