Multidisciplinary bronchopulmonary dysplasia care

Abstract

Introduction: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic respiratory disease in neonates and infants, which often presents with multisystem organ involvement, co-morbidities, and prolonged hospital stays. Therefore, a multidisciplinary chronic care approach is needed in the severest forms of BPD to optimize outcomes. However, this approach can be challenging to implement. The objective of this article is to review and synthesize the available literature regarding multidisciplinary care in infants and children with established BPD, and to provide a framework that can guide clinical practice and future research.

Areas covered: A literature search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Embase and several components of multidisciplinary management of BPD were identified and reviewed, including chronic care, team development, team members, discharge planning, and outpatient care.

Expert opinion: Establishing a core multidisciplinary group familiar with the chronicity of established BPD is recommended as best practice for this population. Acknowledging this is not feasible for all individual centers, it is important for clinical practice and future research to focus on the development and incorporation of national consulting services, telemedicine, and educational resources.

Keywords: Infant; chronic lung disease; mechanical ventilation; neurodevelopment; nutrition.