title: Effectiveness and side effects of two different doses of caffeine in preventing apnea in premature infants.
abstract: The effectiveness of caffeine citrate in preventing idiopathic apnea in premature infants was evaluated. Thirty-seven preterm infants born before the 32nd week of gestation were studied. After an intravenous loading dose of 10 mg/kg of caffeine citrate, two different oral maintenance regimens were followed: 5 mg/kg in Group I and 2.5 mg/kg in Group II. A significant decrease in the number of apneic spells occurred in both treated groups as compared with a control group. In Group II, the frequency of side effects such as tachycardia and gastrointestinal intolerance was significantly lower than in Group I. Group II theophylline plasma levels were significantly lower than those of Group I. The lower Group II theophylline levels presumably explain the reduced frequency of side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: De Carolis
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Muzii
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zecca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tortorolo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiarotti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Giovanni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carnevale
mesh_terms: D001049:Apnea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001785:Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013805:Theobromine / Q000097:blood; D013806:Theophylline / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D013806:Theophylline; D013805:Theobromine