Aortic root blood flow increases after pancuronium in neonates with hyaline membrane disease.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of muscle paralysis on aortic root blood flow in preterm infants with hyaline membrane disease.

DESIGN

Each patient served as his/her own control in a prospectively controlled trial.

SETTING

Neonatal ICU in a university hospital.

PATIENTS

Ten ventilator-dependent preterm infants weighing 800 to 2820 g, 0 to 8 days of age, with hyaline membrane disease and seven control patients.

INTERVENTIONS

Noninvasive measurement of aortic root blood flow by Doppler echocardiography 30 min before and 60 min after respiratory paralysis with 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg of iv pancuronium, or following ventilator changes in control subjects.

RESULTS

Mean aortic root blood flow increased significantly (p less than .001), from 212 to 276 mL/min.kg, accompanied by significant increases in stroke volume and heart rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Pancuronium bromide may have a direct beneficial effect on the circulation of preterm infants with hyaline membrane disease.