Nitric oxide inhalation in infants with respiratory distress syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to test the hypothesis that nitric oxide inhalation increases systemic arterial blood oxygen tension of prematurely delivered infants with respiratory distress syndrome.


METHODS
Nitric oxide was administered to 23 preterm infants with a diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome. The infants were randomly assigned to receive either 5 or 20 ppm of nitric oxide and were studied between 24 and 168 hours after delivery. The treatment period for each infant lasted 15 minutes and was preceded by and followed by a 15-minute control period. We evaluated all outcome variables by using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance; p values less than 0.01 were considered significant.


RESULTS
Nitric oxide inhalation caused significant increases in the following: arterial blood oxygen tension, directly measured arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation, and transcutaneously measured arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation. No differences between the effects of the two nitric oxide concentrations were detected, nor were residual effects detected 15 minutes after either dose of nitric oxide was discontinued.


CONCLUSIONS
Inhalation of both 5 and 20 ppm nitric oxide causes concentration-independent increases in the blood oxygen tensions of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome. We speculate that nitric oxide inhalation may be a useful adjunctive therapy for these patients.
Skimming
J W
JW
Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610-0296, USA.
Bender
K A
KA
Hutchison
A A
AA
Drummond
W H
WH
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019141:Respiratory System Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019141:Respiratory System Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide