Variable Successfully extubated by day 14 NOT successfully extubated P value
N = 175 N= 112
GA – median (IQR) 25.9 (24.9-26.9) 24.7 (24.1-25.6) <0.0001**
BW – median (IQR) 762 (651-882) 674 (599-752) <0.0001**
Male – N (%) 109 (62) 72 (64) 0.8023†
Inborn- N (%) 139 (79) 94 (84) 0.3582 †
Oligohydramnios - N (%) 12 (7) 8 (7) >0.9999†
Chorioamnionitis- N (%) 41 (23) 41 (37) 0.0224†
Antenatal steroids- N (%) 0.5281†
None/ <24hrs 65 (37) 37 (33)
Completed course / > 7 days 110 (63) 75 (67)
Postnatal Surfactant- N (%) 172 (98) 112 (100) 0.2836†
Failed extubation attempts before dexamethasone (%) 0.0050¶
0 107 (61) 89 (79)
1 52 (30) 18 (16)
2 or more 16 (9) 5 (4)
Days ventilated prior to dexamethasone - median (IQR) 16 (13-22) 15 (12-19) 0.1586**
Age at starting dexamethasone (days) - median (IQR) 22 (16-29) 17 (14-23) <0.0001**
GA at dexamethasone (weeks) - median (IQR) 28.9 (27.9-30.7) 27.3 (26.4-28.5) <0.0001**
Weight at starting dexamethasone (grams) - median (IQR) 1075 (910-1262) 863 (744-1050) <0.0001**
Starting dose of dexamethasone (mg/kg/day) - median (IQR) 0.29 (0.15-0.49) 0.16 (0.15-0.47) 0.2057**
IVABx prior to/at dexamethasone - N (%) 132 (75) 91 (81) 0.3090†
Total fluid intake (mL/kg/day)- median (IQR) 173 (156-180) 171 (157 -180) 0.8265**
PN- N (%) 69 (39) 51 (46) 0.3279†
Enteral feeding - N (%) 173 (99) 106 (95) 0.0597†
PDA status at start of dexamethasone - N (%) 0.0007¶
echo/open 73 (42) 67 (60)
echo/closed 34 (19) 27 (21)
presumed open 26 (15) 7 (6)
presumed closed 42 (24) 11 (10)
Ventilation mode at start dexamethasone - N (%) 0.0005†
Conventional 143 (82) 70 (63)
HFOV 32 (18) 42 (38)
MAP (cm H2O)- median (IQR) 11 (10-12) 13 (11-14) <0.0001**
Average FiO2 24 hr prior to dexamethasone - median (IQR) 0.35 (0.30-0.39) 0.40 (0.33-0.48) <0.0001**
Average SpO2 24 hr prior to dexamethasone - median (IQR) 90 (89-92) 90 (89-91) 0.0198**
Last pH before starting dexamethasone - median (IQR) 7.30 (7.25-7.33) 7.28 (7.23-7.34) 0.1003**
Last pCO2 before starting dexamethasone - median (IQR) 57.9 (52.0-62.1) 56.0 (51.0-62.9) 0.4099**
Last Hb before starting dexamethasone (g/L)- median (IQR) 108 (94-124) 106 (94-122) 0.8002**
Previous sepsis- N (%) 16 (9) 11 (10) 0.8389†
Previous airleaks- N (%) 0.0590¶
nil 139 (79) 82 (73)
Pneumothorax 18 (10) 13 (12)
PIE 8 (5) 14 (13)
Both 10 (6) 3 (3)
CXR appearance- N (%) 0.0002¶
Grade 1 / 2 122 (70) 51 (46)
Grade 3 46 (26) 52 (46)
Grade 4 7 (4) 9 (8)