Low Dose Prostaglandin [E1] for Duct Dependent Congential Heart Disease

ABSTRACT

To assess the efficacy of prostaglandin E[1][PGE[1]] on duct dependent congenital heart diseases at our center, a hospital-based retrospective study of neonates with congenital heart disease, cyanotic and acyanotic, who were treated by intravenous prostaglandin at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over five years period. A total of28 neonates, 16 males and 12 females, divided into three groups; Group I were given PGE[1], to increase pulmonary blood flow, Group II to improve mixing of blood and Group III to increase systemic blood flow. The drug was successful in all cases, with one episode of apnea; a common drug side effect. PGE [1]helped many cyanotic babies to reach safely to the well-equipped centers where accurate cardiac diagnosis and cardiac surgery could be done. When used in the suggested low dose for a reasonable period of time, only few babies will experience the expected side effects