Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the term neonate: a strategy for management.
The management of 32 consecutive term infants referred with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn were reviewed. Despite indices suggesting severe cardiorespiratory failure with a median alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient of 591 torr (inter-quartile range 432-618) and oxygenation index of 31 (18-44), all but one patient responded to conventional treatment with inhaled nitric oxide and high frequency oscillatory ventilation.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients should be referred early to centres where maximal conventional support can be offered before consideration for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Mok
Q
Q
Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK, quen.mok@gosh-tr.nthames.nhs.uk
Yates
R
R
Tasker
R C
RC
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D006612:High-Frequency Ventilation; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010547:Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010100:Oxygen