Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks

IntroductionIntermittent hypoxemia (IH) is defined as oxygen saturation (SpO2) drop ≥5% from the baseline (set at 90 s preceding the event) to a level less than 90% lasting for ≥5 s. Caffeine citrate, the standard of care for apnea of prematurity, reduces IH events. IH contributes to both short and...

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Main Authors: Peter Kipkurui Mashep, Roseline Ochieng, Jesse Coleman, Mary Waiyego, Amy Sarah Ginsburg, Dorothy Chomba, Morris Ogero Ondieki, Grace Irimu, William M. Macharia, J. Mark Ansermino
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Pediatrics
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1463484/full
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author Peter Kipkurui Mashep
Roseline Ochieng
Jesse Coleman
Mary Waiyego
Amy Sarah Ginsburg
Dorothy Chomba
Morris Ogero Ondieki
Grace Irimu
William M. Macharia
J. Mark Ansermino
author_facet Peter Kipkurui Mashep
Roseline Ochieng
Jesse Coleman
Mary Waiyego
Amy Sarah Ginsburg
Dorothy Chomba
Morris Ogero Ondieki
Grace Irimu
William M. Macharia
J. Mark Ansermino
author_sort Peter Kipkurui Mashep
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionIntermittent hypoxemia (IH) is defined as oxygen saturation (SpO2) drop ≥5% from the baseline (set at 90 s preceding the event) to a level less than 90% lasting for ≥5 s. Caffeine citrate, the standard of care for apnea of prematurity, reduces IH events. IH contributes to both short and long-term adverse neurologic outcomes. Standard patient monitors cannot detect IH events due to long averaging times.ObjectiveDescribe change in patterns of IH events in preterms <34 weeks before and after cessation of caffeine citrate and factors associated.MethodsInterrupted time series study design. Data was collected from 1 December 2022 to 30 June 2023. MASIMO RAD-G oximeter was used, and analysis done using Trace software V3028 output was desaturation frequency, duration, and time. Data exported, stored, and analyzed using Excel 2016. Change in slope compared visually in two time periods interrupted at 34 weeks and objective statistical analysis done using the Student-T-test, CI 95% with p-value <0.05 considered significant.Results49 patients medical records available for secondary analysis. Frequency of IH events increased from 7.94 to 40.94 events/hour (5-fold). IH events of durations lasting between 0 and 10 s, and >20 s decreased by 12.3% and 6.8%, respectively, while those lasting 10–20 s increased by 17%. The mildly severe IH events decreased by nearly half, 46.9% (78.4% to 31.5%), while both the moderately severe and severe IH events increased by 17.4% (18.5%–35.9%), and 26% (6.7% to 32.7%) respectively. The time spent in hypoxemia increased by 2.3 h/week/patient, while the cumulative time in hypoxemia increased by 1.6 h/patient. Preterms exposure to ACS (antenatal corticosteroids) was associated with decrease in IH events.ConclusionCaffeine citrate cessation leads to worsening of IH events with increased frequency, duration, severity and cumulative time spent in hypoxemia. Exposure to ACS was associated with decrease in IH events.RecommendationCaffeine citrate therapy use beyond 34 weeks is likely to be beneficial especially in the context of LMIC where antenatal steroid is not always administered, and monitoring of preterm babies is suboptimal. Safe cessation of caffeine therapy requires monitoring to detect IH events.
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spelling doaj-art-0100f524d81f4d9cb6ad4f8879dfdf5f2025-08-20T02:10:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602025-06-011310.3389/fped.2025.14634841463484Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeksPeter Kipkurui Mashep0Roseline Ochieng1Jesse Coleman2Mary Waiyego3Amy Sarah Ginsburg4Dorothy Chomba5Morris Ogero Ondieki6Grace Irimu7William M. Macharia8J. Mark Ansermino9Department of Paediatrics, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Paediatrics, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Paediatrics, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, KenyaClinical Trials Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesDepartment of Paediatrics, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and International Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, United KingdomDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Paediatrics, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Anaesthesia, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaIntroductionIntermittent hypoxemia (IH) is defined as oxygen saturation (SpO2) drop ≥5% from the baseline (set at 90 s preceding the event) to a level less than 90% lasting for ≥5 s. Caffeine citrate, the standard of care for apnea of prematurity, reduces IH events. IH contributes to both short and long-term adverse neurologic outcomes. Standard patient monitors cannot detect IH events due to long averaging times.ObjectiveDescribe change in patterns of IH events in preterms <34 weeks before and after cessation of caffeine citrate and factors associated.MethodsInterrupted time series study design. Data was collected from 1 December 2022 to 30 June 2023. MASIMO RAD-G oximeter was used, and analysis done using Trace software V3028 output was desaturation frequency, duration, and time. Data exported, stored, and analyzed using Excel 2016. Change in slope compared visually in two time periods interrupted at 34 weeks and objective statistical analysis done using the Student-T-test, CI 95% with p-value <0.05 considered significant.Results49 patients medical records available for secondary analysis. Frequency of IH events increased from 7.94 to 40.94 events/hour (5-fold). IH events of durations lasting between 0 and 10 s, and >20 s decreased by 12.3% and 6.8%, respectively, while those lasting 10–20 s increased by 17%. The mildly severe IH events decreased by nearly half, 46.9% (78.4% to 31.5%), while both the moderately severe and severe IH events increased by 17.4% (18.5%–35.9%), and 26% (6.7% to 32.7%) respectively. The time spent in hypoxemia increased by 2.3 h/week/patient, while the cumulative time in hypoxemia increased by 1.6 h/patient. Preterms exposure to ACS (antenatal corticosteroids) was associated with decrease in IH events.ConclusionCaffeine citrate cessation leads to worsening of IH events with increased frequency, duration, severity and cumulative time spent in hypoxemia. Exposure to ACS was associated with decrease in IH events.RecommendationCaffeine citrate therapy use beyond 34 weeks is likely to be beneficial especially in the context of LMIC where antenatal steroid is not always administered, and monitoring of preterm babies is suboptimal. Safe cessation of caffeine therapy requires monitoring to detect IH events.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1463484/fullintermittent hypoxemiacaffeine citrateinterrupted time seriespreterm infantsLMIC (low and middle income countries)
spellingShingle Peter Kipkurui Mashep
Roseline Ochieng
Jesse Coleman
Mary Waiyego
Amy Sarah Ginsburg
Dorothy Chomba
Morris Ogero Ondieki
Grace Irimu
William M. Macharia
J. Mark Ansermino
Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks
Frontiers in Pediatrics
intermittent hypoxemia
caffeine citrate
interrupted time series
preterm infants
LMIC (low and middle income countries)
title Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks
title_full Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks
title_fullStr Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks
title_full_unstemmed Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks
title_short Impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks
title_sort impact of cessation of caffeine citrate therapy on intermittent hypoxemia patterns among preterm infants born before 34 weeks
topic intermittent hypoxemia
caffeine citrate
interrupted time series
preterm infants
LMIC (low and middle income countries)
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1463484/full
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