Kp. Vanmeurs et al., RESPONSE OF PREMATURE-INFANTS WITH SEVERE RESPIRATORY-FAILURE TO INHALED NITRIC-OXIDE, Pediatric pulmonology, 24(5), 1997, pp. 319-323
Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance is seen in premature infants wi
th severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). inhaled nitric oxide (N
O) has been shown to decrease pulmonary Vascular resistance and to imp
rove oxygenation in some patients with respiratory failure. The purpos
e of this study was to determine whether premature infants with severe
RDS would respond to inhaled NO with an improvement in oxygenation. E
leven premature infants (mean gestational age 29.8 weeks) with severe
respiratory failure caused by RDS were treated with NO in four concent
rations [1, 5, 10, 20 parts per million (ppm) NO] and with placebo (0
ppm NO). Arterial blood gas measurements were drawn immediately before
and at the end of each of the 15-minute treatments and were used to d
etermine the arterial/alveolar oxygen ratio (Pao(2)/PAo(2)). Ten of th
e 11 infants had a greater than 25% increase in Pao(2)/PAo(2). Five of
the 11 had a greater than 50% increase in Pao(2)/PAo(2). Despite norm
al cranial ultrasound imaging prior to NO, 3 infants had intracranial
hemorrhage (ICH) noted on their first ultrasound scan after this brief
period of NO treatment, and 4 additional infants developed ICH later
during their hospitalization. No infant had significant elevations of
methemoglobin concentrations after the total 60-minute exposure to NO.
NO may be an effective method of improving oxygenation in infants wit
h severe RDS. The disturbing incidence of [CH in this small group of i
nfants needs to be carefully evaluated before considering routine use
of NO for preterm infants. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, inc.