Abstract
Twelve preterm infants, median gestational age 31.5 weeks, were entered into a randomised, placebocontrolled trial of bronchodilator therapy. Their postnatal age was a median of 17.5 months and all suffered from recurrent respiratory symptoms. The infants received either inhaled placebo or 40 μg of ipratropium bromide (active therapy) three times a day utilising a coffee cup as a spacer device. Each therapy was administered for 2 weeks. The symptom score during the active period was reduced by 59% compared to the placebo period (P<0.01) and this was associated with 38% improvement in lung function in the active period compared to a 20% change in functional residual capacity over the placebo period (P<0.01). We conclude inhaled ipratropium bromide appears to be an effective treatment for symptomatic infants at follow up.
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Abbreviations
- FRC:
-
functional residual capacity
- TGV:
-
thoracic gas volume
- FRC:TGV:
-
functional residual capacity: thoracic gas volume ratio
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Yuksel, B., Greenough, A. Ipratropium bromide for symptomatic preterm infants. Eur J Pediatr 150, 854–857 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01955008
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01955008