The Risk of Neonatal Morbidity in Umbilical Artery Hypercarbia and Respiratory Acidosis

Abstract

Objective To test the hypothesis that elevated umbilical artery (UA) partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂) is associated with neonatal morbidity and to compare the risk of neonatal morbidity with different patterns of UA acidosis.

Study Design This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of term, singleton, nonanomalous deliveries with universal cord gas collection. The primary outcome was composite neonatal morbidity. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the relative risk (RR) for neonatal morbidity in patients with and without UA hypercarbia. A receiver operating characteristic curve determined the predictive value of pCO₂ for neonatal morbidity. An additional multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk of neonatal morbidity in different patterns of UA acidosis.

Results UA hypercarbia was associated with an increased risk of neonatal morbidity (RR: 2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [2.07, 3.17]). After adjusting for UA acidemia, this association remained significant (adjusted RR: 1.39, 95% CI: [1.05, 1.83]). UA pCO₂ was less predictive of neonatal morbidity than UA pH (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.65, 95% CI: [0.62, 0.68] vs. AUC: 0.72, 95% CI: [0.69, 0.75], p < 0.01). The odds ratios for neonatal morbidity for respiratory, mixed, and metabolic acidosis compared with normal cord gases were 1.48 (95% CI: [0.88, 2.49]), 6.41 (95% CI: [3.68, 11.17]), and 7.49 (95% CI: [5.76, 9.72]), respectively, p-trend < 0.01.

Conclusion UA hypercarbia is an independent predictor of neonatal morbidity, even in the setting of concomitant UA acidemia. UA mixed and metabolic acidosis carry significantly greater risk of neonatal morbidity compared with respiratory acidosis.

Key Points

• UA pCO₂ is associated with neonatal morbidity.

• UA respiratory acidosis is the UA cord gas pattern least associated with neonatal morbidity.

• UA pH is a superior predictor of neonatal morbidity compared with UA pCO₂.

Keywords

umbilical artery hypercarbia - umbilical artery respiratory acidosis - neonatal morbidity

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 19. Juli 2021

Angenommen: 01. November 2022

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
21. Dezember 2022

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