PEDIATRICS Vol. 102 No. 2 August 1998, pp. 337-341
Cerebral Blood Flow Is Independent of Mean Arterial Blood Pressure in Preterm Infants Undergoing Intensive Care
Received Oct 28, 1997; accepted Mar 13, 1998.
, and
From the * Department of Paediatrics, University College London
School of Medicine; and the
Department of Medical Physics and
Bioengineering, University College London, London, England.
Objective. Preterm infants are often presumed to have a pressure passive cerebral circulation implying that a low mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) results in reduced cerebral perfusion. The aim of this study was to determine whether cerebral blood flow (CBF) was compromised in preterm infants whose MABP fell below 30 mm Hg (4 kPa).
Methods. Thirty preterm infants undergoing intensive care were studied within the first 24 hours of life. CBF was measured using near infrared spectroscopy. The infants were analyzed in two groups on the basis of their MABP at the time of study: group 1 had a MABP below 30 mm Hg and group 2 more than 30 mm Hg. CBF in the two groups was compared.
Results. There was no significant difference in the mean
CBF between the two groups. In group 1 the median MABP was 27.2 mm Hg
(range, 23.7-29.9 mm Hg) and CBF was 13.9 (standard deviation, ±6.9)
mL · 100 g
1 · min
1. In group 2 the
median MABP was 35.3 mm Hg (range, 30.1-39.3 mm Hg) and CBF was 12.3 (standard deviation, ±6.4) mL · 100
g
1 · min
1. Mortality and incidence of
cranial ultrasound scan abnormalities were also not significantly
different.
Conclusion. These results indicate that preterm infants undergoing intensive care are able to maintain adequate cerebral perfusion at a MABP in the range of 23.7 to 39.3 mm Hg.
Key words: near infrared spectroscopy, cerebral blood flow, cerebral autoregulation, blood pressure, preterm infant.
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