title: Can inhaled prostacyclin stimulate surfactant in ELBW infants?
abstract: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) causes significant hypoxia in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. We report an ELBW infant with RDS and pulmonary hypertension whose hypoxia did not respond to inhaled nitric oxide but improved with inhaled prostacyclin. We propose that inhaled prostacyclin alleviated the hypoxia by stimulating surfactant secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olmsted
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oluola
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parthiban
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Raghuveer
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006612:High-Frequency Ventilation; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000151:congenital / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007385:Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation; D010547:Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D011464:Epoprostenol