Effect of Mechanical Ventilation on Intestinal Permeability in Preterm Infants: A Retrospective Cohort Study~!2008-03-27~!2008-05-30~!2008-06-11~!

Mechanical ventilation (MV) and ventilator strategies can induce or aggravate lung injury and may contribute to the development of distant organ failure, including the gastrointestinal tract. A retrospective cohort study was per- formed among 61 preterm infants, with a gestational age of 25-36 weeks, admitted at a neonatal intensive care unit. Intes- tinal permeability was measured by the sugar absorption test (SAT). Mechanically ventilated preterm infants were com- pared to not mechanically ventilated preterm infants. To analyze the effect of parameters of MV on intestinal permeabil- ity, we calculated the oxygenation index (OI). Intestinal permeability was not different in ventilated and not ventilated preterm infants within 48hr after birth. Although OI was < 10 in most of the infants, OI was positively correlated with the SAT, suggesting that the degree of MV was correlated with intestinal permeability.