Abstract 1266 Neonatal Disease Oriented Research: Ductus and Surfactant Platform, Sunday, 5/2

Ment et al have previously shown that LDIP (0.1 mg/kg) given intravenously between 6 and 12 hours of age and repeated twice at 24 hour intervals reduces the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (Pediatrics 93:543, 1994). LDIP has been adopted with variable enthusiasm in neonatal intensive care units ( NICUs). The purpose of this study was to document the dissemination of practice of LDIP among the Network NICUs and to assess the impact of LDIP on the various neonatal morbidities in inborn ELBW (BW < 1,000 g) infants. Prospective registry data from 1995-1997 from the 14 participating Network NICUs were reviewed. T-tests were used to analyze continuous data and chi square tests were used to analyze categorical data. There were 3384 ELBW infants ; 1258 received LDIP, 2126 did not. The data are shown below: (Table) Infants who received LDPI were lighter and less mature but they had a lower incidence of PDA with less need for its ligation. Our observation on severe IVH is not consistent with the reduction that was documented in the randomized control trial by Ment et al ( reference above) and should be interpreted with caution. LDIP is associated with an increase incidence of CLD and NEC. We conclude that, as used in the Network NICUs, LDIP results in less problem with PDA but may be associated with an increase of other neonatal morbidities.

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