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Original Article

Prolonged cerebral oxygenation surveillance with algorithm-based management: a neurocritical care bundle for extremely preterm infants

Kai-Hsiang Hsu^1,2,3  , Wei-Hung Wu^1,2  , Shu-Yu Lin^1,2  , Chih-Chen Chang^2,4  , Mei-Yin Lai^1,2,3, I-Hsyuan Wu^1,2,5, Shih-Ming Chu^1,2, Ming-Chou Chiang^1,2,3, Reyin Lien^1,2 

¹Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Branch, Taoyuan, Taiwan
²School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
³Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
⁴Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Branch, Taoyuan, Taiwan
⁵Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan

Correspondence Reyin Lien ,Email: reyinl@cgmh.org.tw

Received: September 9, 2025; Revised: October 29, 2025   Accepted: October 29, 2025.

Abstract

Background
Cerebral hypoxia-ischemia impairs brain development in extremely preterm infants and is associated with poor neurological outcomes. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive continuous monitoring method for regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rcSO2).
Purpose
This study evaluated the clinical feasibility and neurological impact of a neurocritical care bundle that incorporates prolonged multidisciplinary hemodynamic monitoring and a stepwise management algorithm.
Methods
Preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) ≤28 weeks or birth weight (BW) ≤1,000 g were prospectively enrolled in a bundle group subjected to NIRS for rcSO2, electrical cardiometry for cardiac output, and daily brain and cardiac echography during the first 72 hours of life. Monitoring was repeated weekly in the first month and then monthly until discharge or the term-equivalent age (TEA) was reached. We implemented a stepwise management algorithm for treating cerebral hypoxia. The primary outcome was a composite of mortality and adverse neurological events (structural abnormalities or electroencephalogram-confirmed seizures) before discharge. The secondary outcomes were the physiological pattern of rcSO2 within the initial 72 hours and up to discharge or TEA.
Results
Thirty preterm infants (GA, 27.1±2.0 weeks; BW, 830±225 g) were enrolled in the bundle group. The mean time-averaged rcSO2 (66.8%±10.3%) was not associated with GA or BW. However, postnatal age appeared to influence physiological rcSO2 changes, given that rcSO2 values were higher during the initial 72 hours than at subsequent intervals. Seven infants (23.3%) had poor outcomes and significantly lower time-averaged rcSO2 (51.1% [50.0%–65.2%] vs. 71.8% [67.1%–73.1%], P=0.002). Multivariate regression indicated that a lower rcSO2 was an independent risk factor, and a 65% threshold showed an optimal predictive value for poor outcomes.
Conclusion
The neurocritical care bundle helped identify preterm infants at risk of cerebral hypoxia, and lower rcSO2 was an independent risk factor for composite mortality and adverse neurological outcomes.

Keywords :Cerebral saturation, Hemodynamics, Nearinfrared spectroscopy, Neurocritical care, Preterm infants