Dopamine infusion and hypothyroxinaemia in very low birth weight preterm infants.
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between transient hypothyroxinaemia of prematurity (THOP) in very low birth weight newborns and dopamine administration. A total of 172 newborns was enrolled in a prospective observational study and divided into three groups: group A included newborns who were never treated with dopamine; group B were infants in whom dopamine treatment was discontinued for at least 6 h before the congenital hypothyroidism screening and group C included infants who were given dopamine during the screening. Among those newborns given dopamine, the THOP incidence was higher (11.6% in group A; 53.8% in group B; 89.3% in group C), and the vales of TSH (1.67+/-2.32 microU/ml in group A; 1.29+/-1.74 microU/ml in group B; 0.89+/-1.34 microU/ml in group C) and thyroxine (6.1+/-2.2 microg/dl in group A; 3.9+/-1.9 microg/dl in group B; 2.4+/-1.4 microg/dl in group C) were significantly lower. These differences were further confirmed even after gestational age stratification and mathematical correction for differences in clinical conditions. The effects of dopamine appear to be dose-dependent.


CONCLUSIONS
Even if it cannot be excluded that reduced thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroxine concentrations are caused by non-thyroidal illness, the results suggest that the infusion of dopamine reduces the thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroxine levels in very low birth weight newborns.
Filippi
Luca
L
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University Careggi Hospital, viale Morgagni 85, 50134 Florence, Italy. filippi.luca@virgilio.it
Cecchi
Alessandra
A
Tronchin
Michele
M
Dani
Carlo
C
Pezzati
Marco
M
Seminara
Salvatore
S
Gasperini
Serena
S
Zammarchi
Enrico
E
Rubaltelli
Firmino F
FF
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000378:metabolism*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000378:metabolism; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine; D004298:Dopamine