Receipt of indomethacin did not affect risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, death in preterm infants

SAN DIEGO — Prophylactic indomethacin did not reduce risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death among extremely preterm infants, according to data presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting.

To investigate associations between prophylactic indomethacin, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and death by 36 weeks gestational age, Erik Jensen, MD, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues assessed infants with a gestational age of 29 weeks or less who were enrolled in the Neonatal Research Network Generic Database between 2008 and 2012. Receipt of supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks gestational age was considered bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The study cohort consisted of 2,671 infants who received prophylactic indomethacin and 5,368 who did not.

Erik Jensen

Median treatment rate for indomethacin was 12% across the 35 hospitals involved in the study.

Treatment for patent ductus arteriosus was less common among infants who received indomethacin vs. those who did not (21% vs. 36%; P < .0001).

Adjusted analysis indicated that indomethacin did not significantly reduce risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death by 36 weeks gestation.

“In a cohort of over 8,000 extremely preterm infants, the use of prophylactic indomethacin was not associated with reduced odds for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, death or the composite outcome of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia,” the researchers concluded. – by Amanda Oldt

Reference:

Jensen E, et al. Abstract #2780.1. Presented at: Pediatric Academic Societies 2015; April 25-28, 2015; San Diego.

Disclosure: Infectious Diseases in Children was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.