The efficacy of caffeine in the prevention of apnea in small gestational age of premature infants / 天津医药

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the therapeutic effect and security of caffeine citrate in preventing primary apnea of preterm infants by observing the clinical effect, adverse reaction and prognosis of caffeine citrate preventing the primary apnea. Methods A total of 132 preterm infants admitted to neonatal department of Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology were selected during January 2015 to July 2016. They were randomly divided into two groups, one was the caffeine group, and the other was the control group. The infants of caffenine group were intravenous injected caffeine citrate 24 hours after birth, with the first dose 20 mg/kg, and the maintain dose 5 mg/kg every 24 hours, until the corrected gestational age was 34 weeks. The infants of control group were not given methylxanthine drugs. Data were compared between two groups including the incidence of apena after 48 hours of giving drugs, the period of using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (n-CPAP) or ventilator, the incidence of feeding intolerance, tachycardia, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), intracranial hemorrhage (HIE), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC),and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), weight growth rate and the length of hospitalization. Results There were significantly lower incidence of apnea after 48 hours, the period of using nasal continuous positive airway pressure or ventilator, incidence of patent ductus arteriosus and intracranial hemorrhage and the duration of hospitalization in caffeine group than those in control group (P 0.05). Conclusion The preterm infants given caffeine could reduce the incidence of the primary apnea, improve the prognosis of the preterm infants, and no significant adverse reaction.