J Med Assoc Thai 2002; 85 (8):469

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Inhaled Nitric Oxide Therapy in Premature Infants with Mild to Moderate Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Srisuparp P Mail, Heitschmidt M , Schreiber MD

PIMOL SRISUPARP, M.D.*,
MARY HEITSCHMIDT, R.N.,
M.S.**,
MICHAEL D SCHREIBER, M.D.**
Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) therapy has been demonstrated to acutely improve oxygenation
in preterm infants with severe pulmonary disease. Administration of iNO to the premature infants
with less severe pulmonary illness has not yet been studied extensively. Therefore, the authors per-
formed a pilot study enrolling thirty-four premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
within 72 hours of age, birth weight between 500-2,000 g, whose oxygenation indexes exceeded
our birthweight-specific criteria. Infants were randomly assigned to either treatment with (iNO
group; n
=
16) or without (control group; n
=
18) iNO. Inhaled NO was started at 20 ppm and
weaned to
5
ppm over 24-48 hours. Routine cranial ultrasonography was performed and the occur-
rence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) was interpreted by an attending pediatric radiologist
unaware of the treatment group assignment. The study showed that the two groups were of similar
birth weight (meanเธ‘SEM) : control 901เธ‘73 g
vs
iNO 874เธ‘70 g; and gestational age : control 27.2เธ‘
0.5 wk
vs
iNO 26.8เธ‘0.5 wk. Other baseline parameters between the two groups were also similar.
The mean ages of the infants at the time of entry were 11.7เธ‘2.2 and 8.3เธ‘0.9 hours in the controls
and iNO group. The entry oxygenation index (01) did not differ between the two groups: control
11.9เธ‘2.2
vs
iNO 10.8เธ‘1.50. After 30 minutes of iNO therapy, there was a
50
per cent increase in
partial pressure of oxygen tension (Pa0
2
)
and 15 per cent reduction in 01, (p
=
0.02 and p
=
0.04
vs
baseline, respectively). No statistical difference in the incidence of significant IVH (Grade III and IV)
was detected: control 27.8 per cent; iNO 25.0 per cent. The incidence of other acute complications
as well as early neonatal
d~ath,
were comparable between the groups. The mean methemoglobin con-
centration was 1.2เธ‘0.5 per cent. In conclusion, these preliminary data suggest that iNO, as used in
S470
P. SRISVPARP et

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