Comparison of nSOFA and RSS for predicting bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of the Neonatal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (nSOFA) and the Respiratory Severity Score (RSS) in predicting Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study that included preterm infants who required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) within 24 hours of birth. The accuracy of each scoring system was assessed and compared using the area under the curve (AUC) derived from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Additionally, Spearman's correlation was used to evaluate the association between RSS and nSOFA, and logistic regression models were constructed to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 85 preterm infants were analysed, of whom 53 (62.4%) were diagnosed with BPD. Both nSOFA and RSS demonstrated strong predictive abilities for BPD, with AUCs of 0.82 and 0.81, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the relationship between the two scoring systems and BPD remained stable. However, nSOFA exhibited better predictive accuracy than RSS (0.75 vs 0.69). A significant positive correlation was observed between nSOFA and RSS (r=0.707, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In preterm infants requiring IMV, both nSOFA and RSS are effective predictors of BPD, with nSOFA showing superior accuracy.