Inhaled nitric oxide during emergency neonatal transportation.

Inhaled nitric oxide is currently being investigated as a selective pulmonary vasodilator for neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension. The use of continuous inhaled nitric oxide during emergency transportation of three critically III neonates with meconium aspiration and pulmonary hypertension is described. The successful application of this technique may allow safer transportation of neonates who require high level intensive care including ongoing nitric oxide, high frequency ventilation and/or extracorporeal life support. Regionally based nitric oxide-equipped retrieval teams may relieve the pressure on smaller neonatal intensive care units to provide inhaled nitric oxide therapy and allow centralization of nitric oxide resources, thus facilitating development of expertise and the completion of meaningful research programs with substantial recruitment.