RATIONALE To determine if ventilatory pattern instability, manifested as periodic breathing (PB) during physiologic challenge testing, affects postmenstrual age (PMA) at discharge. METHODS Eighty infants underwent challenge testing at 36 weeks PMA. Infants breathing supplemental O2 received a room air challenge (RAC, N = 51); those breathing ambient air underwent a hypoxic challenge test (HCT, N = 29). Infants were assigned one of four ventilatory control phenotypes based on the presence or absence of PB during their test, and if they passed or failed because of hypoxemia during the challenge test. RESULTS There were no clinical or demographic differences between groups. Infants who passed their challenge testing were, on average, discharged 1.6 weeks sooner than those who failed. The groups of ventilatory control phenotypes differed in PMA at discharge (p = 0.0020), but those with PB were younger by PMA at discharge. CONCLUSIONS Ventilatory pattern instability did not prolong time to discharge. Passing either challenge was associated with earlier discharge, suggesting these tests might identify infants who can have nasal cannula support removed and be safely discharged sooner. Most of the infants who failed their challenge tests with PB were receiving nasal cannula support. Nasal cannula support may be not only treating hypoxemia due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), but also mitigating their ventilatory pattern instability.

中文翻译：

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有和没有通气模式不稳定的早产儿在月经后年龄。

要确定通气模式的不稳定性（在生理性挑战测试期间表现为周期性呼吸（PB））是否会影响出院后的月经年龄（PMA）。方法80名婴儿在PMA接受36周的挑战测试。呼吸补充氧气的婴儿接受了室内空气挑战（RAC，N = 51）；那些呼吸周围空气的人接受了低氧激发试验（HCT，N = 29）。根据婴儿在测试过程中是否存在PB以及在挑战测试中是否因低氧血症通过或失败，将其分配为四种通气控制表型中的一种。结果两组之间没有临床或人口统计学差异。通过挑战测试的婴儿平均比未通过测试的婴儿早出1.6周。出院时PMA的通气控制表型各不相同（p = 0.0020），但出院时PMA组的PB较年轻。结论通气模式的不稳定并未延长出院时间。通过任一挑战均与早出有关，表明这些测试可能会识别出可以移除鼻导管支撑并能安全早出的婴儿。大多数未通过PB激发试验的婴儿都接受了鼻插管支持。鼻插管支持不仅可以治疗由于支气管肺发育不良（BPD）引起的低氧血症，还可以减轻其通气模式的不稳定性。通过任一挑战均与早出有关，表明这些测试可能会识别出可以移除鼻导管支撑并能安全早出的婴儿。大多数未通过PB激发试验的婴儿都接受了鼻插管支持。鼻插管支持不仅可以治疗由于支气管肺发育不良（BPD）引起的低氧血症，还可以减轻其通气模式的不稳定性。通过任一挑战均与早出有关，表明这些测试可能会识别出可以移除鼻导管支撑并能安全早出的婴儿。大多数未通过PB激发试验的婴儿都接受了鼻插管支持。鼻插管支持不仅可以治疗由于支气管肺发育不良（BPD）引起的低氧血症，还可以减轻其通气模式的不稳定性。