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  • Original Article
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Acetaminophen to avoid surgical ligation in extremely low gestational age neonates with persistent hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus

Journal of Perinatology volume 36, pages 649–653 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of rescue oral acetaminophen in improving echocardiography (echo) indices of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) shunt volume and avoiding surgical ligation in extremely low gestational age (GA) neonates (ELGANs, <28 weeks) with persistent PDA.

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study of ELGANs with moderate or severe PDA at risk for ligation after a practice change introducing oral acetaminophen (60 mg kg−1 day−1 for 3 to 7 days) to facilitate ductal constriction after indomethacin failure.

Results:

Twenty-six infants (median GA 24.4 weeks at birth) with persistent PDA under consideration for surgical ligation were treated with oral acetaminophen at a mean of 27 days of life. Echo indices of shunt volume improved in 12 (46%) infants (3 closed and 9 reduced to mild shunt), all of whom avoided ligation. There was no echo improvement in 14 (54%) infants, of which 8/14 underwent ligation, and ligation was deferred in 6/14 infants, mostly owing to improvement in respiratory stability. Fewer responders than non-responders underwent ligation (0% vs 57%, P<0.01), though there were no differences in other neonatal outcomes.

Conclusions:

In ELGANs with persistent significant PDA, rescue therapy with oral acetaminophen was associated with improvement in echo indices of shunt volume and avoidance of ligation in nearly half of infants.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Newborn and Developmental Paediatrics, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

    D E Weisz & L E Nield

  2. Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    D E Weisz, L E Nield, A Jain & P J McNamara

  3. Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    F F Martins, L E Nield & P J McNamara

  4. Department of Neonatology, The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    A El-Khuffash

  5. School of Medicine (Department of Paediatrics), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

    A El-Khuffash

  6. Department of Paediatrics, Mt Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada

    A Jain

  7. Physiology and Experimental Medicine Program, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada

    P J McNamara

Authors
  1. D E Weisz
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  2. F F Martins
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  3. L E Nield
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  4. A El-Khuffash
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  5. A Jain
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  6. P J McNamara
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D E Weisz.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Weisz, D., Martins, F., Nield, L. et al. Acetaminophen to avoid surgical ligation in extremely low gestational age neonates with persistent hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus. J Perinatol 36, 649–653 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2016.60

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