[Does stopping of oral feeding favour the occurrence of auriculoventricular block in premature infants treated with diphemanil?].
BACKGROUND
Bradycardia in preterm infants may require anticholinergic therapy (diphemanil methylsulphate). Such treatment may cause prolongation of QT interval and auriculoventricular block.


METHODS
Three premature infants born before 34 weeks of gestational age were given 6-8 mg/kg/d diphemanil because they suffered from bradycardiac episodes. Aggravation and/or persistence of bradycardia required withdrawal of gavage feeding: heart block occurred within a few hours which subsided after cessation of diphemanil and oral refeeding. Diphemanil at progressive dosage was later introduced safely in two of these infants.


CONCLUSIONS
The short interval of time between the oral feeding withdrawal and occurrence of heart block justified therapy be stopped or transiently reduced whenever oral feeding must be interrupted.
Guérois
M
M
Service de médecine néonatale, centre de pédiatrie Gatien-de-Clocheville, Tours, France.
Favre
A
A
Gold
F
F
Blond
M H
MH
Chantepie
A
A
Rondeau
C
C
Ramponi
N
N
Autret
E
E
D000284:Administration, Oral; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000009:adverse effects*
D010276:Parasympatholytics; D010880:Piperidines; C028209:diphemanil methylsulfate
L'arrêt de l'alimentation orale favorise-t-il la survenue d'un bloc auriculoventriculaire chez les prématurés traités par diphémanil?