Inhaled nitric oxide in infants >1500 g and <34 weeks gestation with severe respiratory failure.
OBJECTIVE
Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) use in infants >1500 g, but <34 weeks gestation with severe respiratory failure will reduce the incidence of death and/or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).


METHODS
Infants born at <34 weeks gestation with a birth weight >1500 g with respiratory failure were randomly assigned to receive placebo or iNO.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine infants were randomized. There were no differences in baseline characteristics, but the status at randomization showed a statistically significant difference in the use of high-frequency ventilation (P=0.03). After adjustment for oxygenation index entry strata, there was no difference in death and/or BPD (adjusted relative risk (RR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.43 to 1.48; P=0.50), death (adjusted RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.47 to 3.41; P=0.65) or BPD (adjusted RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.47 to 3.41; P=0.21).


CONCLUSIONS
Although sample size limits our ability to make definitive conclusions, this small pilot trial of iNO use in premature infants >1500 g and <34 weeks with severe respiratory failure suggests that iNO does not affect the rate of BPD and/or death.
Van Meurs
K P
KP
Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. vanmeurs@stanford.edu
Hintz
S R
SR
Ehrenkranz
R A
RA
Lemons
J A
JA
Ball
M B
MB
Poole
W K
WK
Perritt
R
R
Das
A
A
Higgins
R D
RD
Stevenson
D K
DK
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009569:Nitric Oxide