Heliox® Tolerance in Spontaneously Breathing Neonates with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

The use of a gas mixture in which helium is substituted for nitrogen allows a decrease in pulmonary resistances and in resistive work of breathing. This treatment might allow a reduction in energy expenditure in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and spare calories for growth. In a preliminary study designed to assess tolerance to Heliox ® , 4 infants with BPD and 4 controls were studied firstly when breathing air and secondly when breathing Heliox ® , at 10, 20 and 30 min exposure (T10, T20, T30). The following parameters were recorded: respiratory and cardiac rates, room (RT) and skin temperatures (ST) and transcutaneous (Tc) blood gases. When breathing air, TcPO 2 was normal in the two groups (mean ± SEM: 70 ± 4 mm Hg in BPD vs. 78 ±4 in controls). TcPCO 2 was higher in the BPD group (41 ± 2 vs. 35 ± 1 mm Hg in controls; p = 0.028). Spontaneously breathing Heliox had immediate consequences such as wakening, crying, decrease in ST and hypoxia. Hypoxia was more serious and more rapid in the BPD group. At the 10-min exposure, mean TcPO 2 was 39 ± 4 mm Hg in BPD vs. 69 ± 7 in controls (p = 0.042). Hypoxia was immediatly corrected when breathing room air. TcPCO 2 was unchanged in both groups.