W. Muller et al., INHALED NITRIC-OXIDE DURING EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE-OXYGENATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF SEVERE PERSISTENT PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION OF THE NEWBORN, Artificial organs, 20(1), 1996, pp. 60-63
Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) as a complementary treatment was studied in
10 neonates during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy
of various persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN)-ass
ociated diseases. At individually different levels of inhaled NO (20-8
0 ppm), the mean Pao, increased by 59.7% in 6 responders, but it remai
ned unchanged in 4 nonresponders. Adverse side effects of the NO inhal
ation were tolerable. It was associated with a reversible decrease of
the mean arterial blood pressure in 1 patient. During prolonged NO inh
alation, the methemoglobin (met-Hb) level increased to 0.9-4.6% in 6 p
atients. Based on these preliminary results, we conclude that inhaled
NO during ECMO can improve oxygenation in some PPHN patients. Further
studies with control groups are needed to determine whether inhaled NO
can shorten ECMO treatment or improve the rate of survival among PPHN
patients.