ABSTRACT
The clinical course of 87 infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) on home oxygen
therapy was reviewed to determine the occurrence of systemic hypertension (HTN) and
to evaluate associated clinical features. Eleven of 87 (13%) infants developed systemic
HTN either in the neonatal intensive care unit or following discharge. Clinical features
that distinguished the hypertensive from the normotensive group were as follows: greater
use of bronchodilators, 91% vs 37% (p <0.001), and diuretics, 91% vs 55% (p <0.05), longer duration of home oxygen therapy 21.6 ± 9.9 vs 9.2 ± 5.8 months (p <0.05), and greater mortality, 36% vs 1% (p <0.001). The course of systemic HTN in the surviving patients (7 of 11) was benign
and resolved in all patients prior to weaning from home oxygen therapy. Systemic HTN
is frequently present in infants with severe BPD and appears to be related to the
clinical severity of lung disease.
