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Masafumi Miyata, Tadayoshi Hata, Noriko Kato, Masatomo Takeuchi, Hiroko Mizutani, Masamichi Kubota, Toshio Yamazaki
Dynamic QT/RR relationship of cardiac conduction in premature infants treated with low-dose doxapram hydrochloride
Keywords: Apnea of prematurity, atrioventricular conduction, doxapram hydrochloride, QT interval, QT/RR relationship
Doxapram hydrochloride, a respiratory stimulant, has several undesirable side effects during high-dose administration, including second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block and QT prolongation. In Japan, this drug is contraindicated for newborn infants. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of doxapram therapy for apnea of prematurity (AOP) using lower doses than those previously tested. As a result, approximately 60% of Japanese neonatologists continue to use this drug. This study used surface ECG recordings to assess the cardiac safety of low-dose doxapram hydrochloride (0.2 mg/kg/h) in fifteen premature very-low-birth-weight infants with idiopathic AOP. Cardiac intervals and number of apnea episodes were compared before and after drug administration. Low-dose doxapram hydrochloride resulted in approximately 90% reduction in the frequency of apnea without side effects. None of the infants developed QT or PR prolongation, arrhythmia, or other conduction disorders. In addition, there was no change in the slope of QT/RR before versus after administration of doxapram hydrochloride. We conclude that low-dose administration of doxapram hydrochloride did not have any undesirable effects on myocardial depolarization and repolarization.
Journal of Perinatal Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1619-3997
Volume: 35, 08/2007
Pages: 330 - 333