RESUMO
To determine the influence of the cause of pulmonary hypertension in neonates on overall outcome. Design: Analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Special Care Baby Unit [SCBU] at Royal Hospital in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, from July 1998 to June 2003. Patients and All neonates with the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, based on history, clinical examination and 2-D echocardiogram were reviewed with respect to the cause of hypertension [primary or secondary], birth weight, Apgar score, gender, inborn/ outborn and outcome. According to the outcome, neonates were divided into two groups, group A [survived] and group B [expired]. Both groups were compared for described variables using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 7.5 for Windows and Epi Info version 6. Out of 37 neonates with pulmonary hypertension, Group A comprised of 22 neonates while group B had 15 neonates, giving a mortality of 40% [15/37]. The mean birth weight between the two groups showed no significant differences, 3088 +/- 479 gram and 2962 +/- 454 gram, p =0.42, respectively. Similarly, no difference in the one and five Apgar scores were noted, 4.9 +/- 2.1 and 4.7 +/- 1.3, p = 0.73 and 7.4 +/- 1.5 and 6.7 +/- 1.4, p = 0.16, respectively. The place of birth had also no significant influence on the outcome, however, the cause of pulmonary hypertension was noted to be significantly associated with the outcome, p=0.004. The cause of pulmonary hypertension in neonates does influence the survival. Primary pulmonary hypertension in neonates was noted to be associated with poor outcome as compared to secondary pulmonary hypertension