Abstract
A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed to compare the effects of ibuprofen with indomethacin on cerebral hemodynamics measured using near infrared spectroscopy in preterm infants during treatment for patent ductus arteriosus. Infants were randomly assigned to three intravenous doses of either indomethacin (0.20–0.25 mg/kg, 12 hourly) or ibuprofen (5–10 mg/kg, 24 hourly) and also received a dose of saline. The primary end points of the study were the effects of the first dose on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume. Fifteen infants received indomethacin and 18 received ibuprofen. The group mean (SD) values for CBF (mL·100 g−1·min−1) before and after the first dose of indomethacin were 13.6 (4.1) and 8.3 (3.1), respectively, the change being significant (p < 0.001). In contrast, no significant changes in CBF were observed with the first dose of ibuprofen, the respective before and after values being 13.3 (3.2) and 14.9 (4.7) mL·100 g−1·min−1. The median (interquartile range) value for change in cerebral blood volume (mL/100 g) after the first dose in the indomethacin group was −0.4 (−0.3 to −0.6) and in the ibuprofen group was 0.0 (0.1 to −0.1), the difference between the two groups being significant (p < 0.001). Cerebral oxygen delivery changed significantly after the first dose in the indomethacin group but not in the ibuprofen group. Significant reductions in CBF, cerebral blood volume, and cerebral oxygen delivery also occurred after the 24-h dose of indomethacin, but there were no significant changes after the 48-h dose of saline in the indomethacin group or after the 24- and 48-h doses of ibuprofen. The patent ductus arteriosus closure rates after indomethacin and ibuprofen were 93 and 78%, respectively. We conclude that ibuprofen, unlike indomethacin, has no adverse effects on cerebral hemodynamics and appears to mediate patent ductus arteriosus closure.
Similar content being viewed by others
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
Abbreviations
- CBF:
-
cerebral blood flow
- CBV:
-
cerebral blood volume
- CBVR:
-
cerebral blood volume reactivity to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension
- COD:
-
cerebral oxygen delivery
- Hb:
-
cerebral deoxyhemoglobin
- HbO2:
-
cerebral oxyhemoglobin
- NIRS:
-
near infrared spectroscopy
- NSAID:
-
nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug
- PaCO2:
-
arterial carbon dioxide tension
- PaO2:
-
arterial oxygen tension
- PDA:
-
patent ductus arteriosus
- SaO2:
-
arterial oxygen saturation
- [tHb]:
-
total arterial hemoglobin concentration
References
Cotton RB, Stahlman MT, Kovar I, Catterton WZ 1978 Medical management of small preterm infants with symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus. J Pediatr 92: 467–473.
Gersony WM, Peckham GJ, Ellison RC, Miettinen OS, Nadas AS 1983 Effects of indomethacin in premature infants with patent ductus arteriosus: results of a national collaborative study. J Pediatr 102: 895–906.
Krueger E, Mellander M, Bratton D, Cotton R 1987 Prevention of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus with a single dose of indomethacin. J Pediatr 111: 749–754.
Mahony L, Carnero V, Brett C, Heymann MA, Clyman RI 1982 Prophylactic indomethacin therapy for patent ductus arteriosus in very-low-birth-weight infants. N Engl J Med 306: 506–510.
Bandstra ES, Montalvo BM, Goldberg RN, Pacheco I, Ferrer PL, Flynn J, Gregoris JB, Bancalari E 1988 Prophylactic indomethacin for prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants. Pediatrics 82: 533–542.
Ment LR, Oh W, Ehrenkranz RA, Philip AG, Vohr B, Allan W, Duncan CC, Scott DT, Taylor KZ, Katz KH, Schneider KC, Makuch RW 1994 Low-dose indomethacin and prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage: a multicenter randomized trial. Pediatrics 93: 543–550.
Pryds O, Greisen G, Johansen KH 1988 Indomethacin and cerebral blood flow in premature infants treated for patent ductus arteriosus. Eur J Pediatr 147: 315–316.
Edwards AD, Wyatt JS, Richardson C, Potter A, Cope M, Delpy DT, Reynolds EOR 1990 Effects of indomethacin on cerebral haemodynamics in very preterm infants. Lancet 335: 1491–1495.
McCormick DC, Edwards AD, Brown GC, Wyatt JS, Potter A, Cope M, Delpy DT, Reynolds EOR 1993 Effect of indomethacin on cerebral oxidized cytochrome oxidase in preterm infants. Pediatr Res 33: 603–608.
Norton ME, Merrill J, Cooper BA, Kuller JA, Clyman RI 1993 Neonatal complications after the administration of indomethacin for preterm labor. N Engl J Med 329: 1602–1607.
Souter D, Harding J, McCowan L, O'Donnell C, McLeay E, Baxendale H 1998 Antenatal indomethacin-adverse fetal effects confirmed. Aust NZ J Obstet Gynaecol 38: 11–16.
Darlow BA, Horwood LJ, Clematt RS 1992 Retinopathy of prematurity: risk factors in a prospective population-based study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 6: 62–80.
Leffler CW, Busija DW, Fletcher AM, Beasley DG, Hessler JR, Green RS 1985 Effects of indomethacin upon cerebral hemodynamics of newborn pigs. Pediatr Res 19: 1160–1164.
Leffler CW, Busija DW, Beasley DG, Fletcher AM 1986 Maintenance of cerebral circulation during hemorrhagic hypotension in newborn pigs: role of prostanoids. Circ Res 59: 562–567.
Hammerman C, Strates E, Komar K, Bui K 1987 Failure of prophylactic indomethacin to improve the outcome of the very low birth weight infant. Dev Pharmacol Ther 10: 393–404.
Rennie JM, Doyle J, Cooke RWI 1986 Early administration of indomethacin to preterm infants. Arch Dis Child 61: 233–238.
Betkerur MV, Yeh TF, Miller K, Glasser RJ, Pildes RS 1981 Indomethacin and its effects on renal function and urinary kallikrein excretion in premature infants with patent ductus arteriosus. Pediatrics 68: 99–102.
Coombs RC, Morgan ME, Durbin GM, Booth IW, McNeish AS 1990 Gut blood flow velocities in the newborn: effects of patent ductus arteriosus and parenteral indomethacin. Arch Dis Child 65: 1067–1071.
van Bel F, van Zoeren D, Schipper J, Guit GL, Baan J 1990 Effect of indomethacin on superior mesenteric artery blood flow velocity in preterm infants. J Pediatr 116: 965–970.
van Bel F, Guit GL, Schipper J, van de Bor M, Baan J 1991 Indomethacin-induced changes in renal blood flow velocity waveform in premature infants investigated with color Doppler imaging. J Pediatr 118: 621–626.
Wu KK 1998 Biochemical pharmacology of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Biochem Pharmacol 55: 543–547.
Chemtob S, Beharry KA, Barna T, Varma DR, Aranda JV 1991 Differences in the effects in the newborn piglet of various nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs on cerebral blood flow but not on cerebrovascular prostaglandins. Pediatr Res 30: 106–111.
Van Bel F, Van de Bor M, Stijnen T, Baan J, Ruys JH 1989 Cerebral blood flow velocity changes in preterm infants after a single dose of indomethacin: duration of its effect. Pediatrics 84: 802–807.
Green RS, Leffler CW 1986 Effect of indomethacin on circulating prostacyclin levels in human neonates. Pediatr Res 20: 349
Chemtob S, Laudignon N, Beharry K, Rex J, Varma D, Wolfe L, Aranda JV 1990 Effects of prostaglandins and indomethacin on cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption of conscious newborn piglets. Dev Pharmacol Ther 14: 1–14.
Chemtob S, Beharry K, Rex J, Varma DR, Aranda JV 1990 Prostanoids determine the range of cerebral blood flow autoregulation of newborn piglets. Stroke 21: 777–784.
Malcolm DD, Segar JL, Robillard E, Chemtob S 1993 Indomethacin compromises hemodynamics during positive-pressure ventilation, independently of prostanoids. J Appl Physiol 74: 1672–1678.
Chemtob S, Roy MS, Abran D, Fernandez H, Varma DR 1993 Prevention of the postasphyxial increase in lipid peroxides and retinal function deterioration in the newborn pig by inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity and free radical generation. Pediatr Res 33: 336–340.
Coceani F, White E, Bodach E, Olley PM 1979 Age-dependent changes in the response of the lamb ductus arteriosus to oxygen and ibuprofen. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 57: 825–831.
Varvarigou A, Bardin CL, Beharry K, Chemtob S, Papageorgiou A, Aranda JV 1996 Early ibuprofen administration to prevent patent ductus arteriosus in premature newborn infants. JAMA 275: 539–544.
Patel J, Marks KA, Roberts I, Azzopardi D, Edwards AD 1995 Ibuprofen treatment of patent ductus arteriosus. Lancet 346: 255
Mosca F, Bray M, Lattanzio M, Fumagalli M, Tosetto C 1997 Comparative evaluation of the effects of indomethacin and ibuprofen on cerebral perfusion and oxygenation in preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus. J Pediatr 131: 549–554.
Van Overmeire B, Follens I, Hartmann S, Creten WL, Van Acker K 1997 Treatment of patent ductus arteriosus with ibuprofen. Arch Dis Child 76: F179–F184
Van Overmeire B, Langhendries JP, Vanhaesebrouck P, Lecoutere D, Van de Broek H 1998 Ibuprofen for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus, a randomized multicenter trial. Pediatr Res 43: 200
Jobsis FF 1977 Noninvasive monitoring of cerebral and myocardial sufficiency and circulatory parameters. Science 198: 1264–1267.
Wyatt JS, Cope M, Delpy DT, Wray S, Reynolds EOR 1986 Quantification of cerebral oxygenation and haemodynamics in sick newborn infants by near infrared spectroscopy. Lancet 2: 1063–1066.
Edwards AD, Wyatt JS, Richardson C, Delpy DT, Cope M, Reynolds EOR 1988 Cotside measurement of cerebral blood flow in ill newborn infants by near infrared spectroscopy. Lancet 2: 770–771.
Nelson SR, Mantz ML, Maxwell JA 1971 Use of specific gravity in the measurement of cerebral edema. J Appl Physiol 30: 268–271.
Wyatt JS, Cope M, Delpy DT, Richardson CE, Edwards AD, Wray S, Reynolds EOR 1990 Quantitation of cerebral blood volume in human infants by near-infrared spectroscopy. J Appl Physiol 68: 1086–1091.
Lammertsma AA, Brooks DJ, Beaney RP, Turton DR, Kensett MJ, Heather JD, Marshall J, Jones T 1984 In vivo measurement of regional cerebral haematocrit using positron emission tomography. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 4: 317–322.
Wyatt JS, Cope M, Delpy DT, van der Zee P, Arridge SR, Edwards AD, Reynolds EOR 1990 Measurement of optical path length for cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy in newborn infants. Dev Neurosci 12: 140–144.
Elwell CE 1995 A Practical Users Guide to Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Hammamatsu Photonics, London, 69–85.
Volpe JJ 1995 Intracranial hemorrhage: germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage. In: Neurology of the Newborn. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 423–424.
Yaffe SJ, Friedman WF, Rogers D, Lang P, Ragni M, Saccar C 1980 The disposition of indomethacin in preterm babies. J Pediatr 97: 1001–1006.
Aranda JV, Varvarigou A, Beharry K, Bansal R, Bardin C, Modanlou H, Papageorgiou A, Chemtob S 1997 Pharmacokinetics and protein binding of intravenous ibuprofen in the premature newborn infant. Acta Paediatr 86: 289–293.
Leffler CW, Busija DW 1985 Arachidonate metabolism on the cerebral surface of newborn pigs. Prostaglandins 30: 811–817.
Siesjo BK 1984 Cerebral circulation and metabolism. J Neurosurg 60: 883–908.
Therkelsen K, Jensen KA, Freundlich M, Thorshauge H, Bunemann L, Bogeskov-Nielsen L 1994 Endothelin-1 and cerebral blood flow: influence of hypoxia, hypercapnia, and indomethacin on circulating endothelin levels in healthy volunteers. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 54: 441–451.
Wennmalm A, Eriksson S, Wahren J 1981 Effect of indomethacin on basal and carbon dioxide stimulated cerebral blood flow in man. Clin Physiol 1: 227–234.
Hanna N, Lachapelle P, Roy MS, Orquin J, Varma DR, Chemtob S 1995 Alterations in the electroretinogram of newborn piglets by propionic acid-derivative nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs but not by indomethacin and diclofenac. Pediatr Res 37: 81–85.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the staff of the Neonatal Units at Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte's, St. George's, and St. Mary's Hospitals; the Pharmacy Department at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital; Professor A. Redington for cardiologic assistance; Dr. S. Bignall for valuable help; Dr. C. Dore for acting as data monitor; and Merckle GmbH for the generous donation of ibuprofen.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Patel, J., Roberts, I., Azzopardi, D. et al. Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial Comparing the Effects of Ibuprofen with Indomethacin on Cerebral Hemodynamics in Preterm Infants with Patent Ductus Arteriosus. Pediatr Res 47, 36 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200001000-00009
Received:
Accepted:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200001000-00009
This article is cited by
-
Early prediction of spontaneous Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) closure and PDA-associated outcomes: a prospective cohort investigation
BMC Pediatrics (2019)
-
Cerebral oxygen saturation and peripheral perfusion in the extremely premature infant with intraventricular and/or pulmonary haemorrhage early in life
Scientific Reports (2018)
-
Effect on cerebral oxygenation of paracetamol for patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants
European Journal of Pediatrics (2018)
-
Early treatment versus expectative management of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants: a multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial in Europe (BeNeDuctus trial)
BMC Pediatrics (2018)
-
Pharmacological Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus: Selecting the Agent and Route of Administration
Pediatric Drugs (2016)


