The Clinical Evaluation of Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Nicolas A. Bamat, Huayan Zhang, Kristin McKenna, Heidi Morris, Jason Z. Stoller, Kathleen Gibbs
Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a common disease of prematurity that presents along a wide spectrum of disease severity. Infants with high severity require prolonged hospitalizations and benefit from multidisciplinary care. We describe our approach to the evaluation of infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Important considerations include the phenotypic heterogeneity in clinical presentation that necessitates individualized care, the common presence of comorbidities and importance of a comprehensive multisystem evaluation, and the value of applying a chronic care model that prioritizes long-term respiratory and neurodevelopmental goals. Key features of the history, physical examination, and diagnostic studies are discussed with these considerations in mind.