Troponin T, N-terminal pro natriuretic peptide and a patent ductus arteriosus scoring system predict death before discharge or neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years in preterm infants

Abstract

Background There is little consensus regarding the use of echocardiography in patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) treatment in preterm infants. The use of troponin T (cTnT) and N-terminal Pro-BNP (NTpBNP) in combination with echocardiography assessment may facilitate the development of a superior predictive model. Objective To investigate the ability of cTnT, NTpBNP and a PDA scoring system applied at 48 h of life to predict death before discharge and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age. Design/Methods Infants Results Sixty infants with a median gestation of 27.7 weeks (26.2–29.4) and a median birth weight of 1.01 kg (0.86–1.22) were followed up to 2 years of age. Plasma cTnT and NTpBNP were higher in the Severe Disability/Death compared to the Normal/Mild Disability group (2.30 μg/l vs 0.19 μg/l, pConclusion Blood cTnT, NTpBNP and a PDA scoring system at 48 h may facilitate the identification of those infants with a PDA, who are at greatest risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age.