Agata Jankowska
Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland
Title: Use of Paracetamol in treatment of hemodynamically significant PDA in preterm infants – preliminary study
Biography
Biography: Agata Jankowska
Abstract
Introduction: Persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) constitutes 5-20% of all inborn heart defects. In preterms born with body weight <1000g is present even in 80%.
Fast diagnosis and treatment of hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) allows avoiding many complications. In pharmacological treatment of hsPDA conventionally inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX) are used but they may cause many side effects. That is why alternative methods are investigated. One of them is the use of paracetamol.
Aim of the study: The aim of our study was the assessment of effectiveness of paracetamol treatment of hsPDA in preterm neonates.
Material and methods: The study was performed in 10 preterm neonates, with hsPDA confirmed by echocardiography. 2 neonates were exclude from the study. In diagnosis we considered the width of arterial duct and clinical status of the patient. Paracetamol treatment was started after the cardiological confirmation of hsPDA, intravenously in dose of 15 mg/kg every 6 hours during 5 days +/- 2 days. In none of the patients included in our study side effects were observed.
Results: The effectiveness of the treatment was verified by controlled echocardiography. Effective treatment with paracetamol was observed in 62% studied neonates. In two of the remaining neonates treatment with ibuprofen was initiated but the therapy failed. In one contraindications of COX inhibitors treatment were present. Eventually surgical ligation was performed in 3 of them.
Conclusions: Paracetamol can be considered as an effective alternative method of treatment of hsPDA to ibuprofen.