Public Defence: Mari Oma Ohnstad

M.Sc. Mari Oma Ohnstad at Institute of Clinical Medicine will be defending the thesis “Mechanical ventilation and successful extubation among extremely premature infants: A population-based study using data from the Norwegian Neonatal Network” for the degree of PhD (Philosophiae Doctor).

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Photo: Åsne Rambøl Hillestad

Click here to stream the public defence

Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.

Trial Lecture – time and place

See Trial Lecture.

Adjudication committee

  • First opponent: Professor Mikael Norman, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
  • Second opponent: PhD Kirsten Brubakk, Helse Sør-Øst,
  • Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Emeritus Thor Willy Ruud-Hansen, University of Oslo

Chair of the Defence

Associate Professor Hans Christian Erichsen Landsverk, University of Oslo

Principal Supervisor

Associate Professor Arild Erland Rønnestad, University of Oslo

Summary

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is crucial for the survival of nearly all extremely premature (EP) infants born before 26 weeks of gestational age (GA). However, prolonged MV can lead to adverse complications, and our understanding of the optimal extubation timing remains inadequate.

This study aimed to investigate MV and extubation outcomes among EP infants born before 26 weeks of GA. It is a population-based study conducted between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018. Data from the Norwegian Neonatal Network, supplemented with information from patient medical records, were collected.

The main findings of the study revealed variations in extubation success rates and the age at which successful extubation occurred based on GA at birth. The least mature infants had a higher likelihood of unsuccessful extubation. Among the entire population, being male and having an Apgar score below 5 at five minutes of age were associated with a longer duration of MV. The findings indicated that successful extubation odds were higher when the pre-oxygen requirement prior to the attempt was below 35%, when the infant had an Apgar score above 5 at five minutes of age, and when the infant was female. Additionally, high unit workload, weekday, and season showed no association with the number of days on MV before the first extubation attempt or the outcome of the attempt.

Additional information

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Published Aug. 11, 2023 1:50 PM - Last modified Aug. 23, 2023 1:17 PM