Risk factors for neonatal acquired subglottic stenosis.

Endotracheal intubation has proven to be a relatively safe and effective means of securing the airway in neonates. Some concern remains, however, regarding airway management in critically ill infants who require assisted ventilation for extended periods. Among the various risk factors associated with the complication of acquired subglottic stenosis in neonates, the one most frequently cited has been "prolonged" intubation, although opinion varies regarding the definition of this term. Various recommendations exist that attempt to establish the limits of "safe" periods of intubation for infants. Some feel that tracheotomy is indicated when airway support is required beyond those limits. In an attempt to define important risk factors involved in the development of neonatal subglottic stenosis, a retrospective analysis of infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Columbus Children's Hospital who required intubation during a 3-year period from 1977 to 1980 was undertaken. Of 343 infants who survived hospitalization, five patients were identified as having acquired subglottic stenosis. The average duration of intubation for these five patients was 56.2 days. The incidence of subglottic stenosis for infants whose duration of intubation ranged from 3 to 50 days was 0.4% (1/245). Infants with birth weights less than 1,500 g appeared more susceptible to the development of intubation-related laryngeal injury. The conclusion of this study is that endotracheal intubation is an appropriate means of long-term airway management in neonates hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit, providing other known risk factors are minimized.