Abstract
Apnea and bradycardia reoccurred in 10 premature infants after multiple attempts to discontinue theophylline therapy prior to hospital discharge. Cardiorespiratory studies showed central apnea to occur in 10 infants, obstructive apnea in 1 and mixed apnea in 4. Anemia and hypoxia were excluded as possible causes of apnea in all infants. Other clinical data included: Mean ± SEM birthweight=1.47±0.12 kg and gestational age=30.5±0.76 and the following diagnoses: severe RDS (9), birth asphyxia (9), PDA (6), jaundice (8), RLF (2), meningitis (1). All infants were discharged on theophylline (range serum levels 8.1-11.6 ug/dl). At discharge, all but one infant was apneic free and that one required home cardiorespiratory monitoring. As outpatients all infants had monthly dose adjustments and serum theophylline levels maintained at mean ± SEM 7.6±0.8 ug/dl. All infants had uneventful clinical courses during house stay. Hospital readmission at 7 to 9½ months of age showed: 1) No reoccurrence of apnea after discontinuation of theophylline; 2) Appropriate growth velocity for prematures; 3) Normal developmental assessment with 50% correction for prematurity in all but one infant. The preliminary results of this study indicate that long term theophylline therapy had no detrimental effect on early growth and development and that it is a safe treatment for prolonged apnea in high risk premature infants.
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Pereira, G., Dransfield, D., Ting, R. et al. 1394 HOME USE OF THEOPHYLLINE FOR PERSISTENT APNEA IN HIGH RISK PREMATURE INFANTS. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 675 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01423
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01423