Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn Successfully Treated with Beraprost Sodium: A Retrospective Chart Review

BACKGROUND: Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is one of the most serious conditions in neonates resulting in a high mortality and morbidity. New alternative therapies for PPHN have been sought to improve survival and reduce morbidity. OBJECTIVES: To report an initial experience of using beraprost sodium (BPS) to treat infants with PPHN and to assess its effect on oxygenation and hemodynamic stability over a 72-hour study period. METHODS: The clinical data of neonates who received BPS as an adjunctive therapy for PPHN in our hospital between July 2007 and June 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: During the study period, 7 infants with PPHN were successfully treated with BPS. The mean gestational age and birth weight were 39.3 ± 1.5 weeks and 3,365.7 ± 569.8 g, respectively. BPS was initiated at a median age of 42.7 h after birth (range: 2.1-166.5 h) with a baseline mean oxygen index (OI) of 33.9 ± 15.7 and a baseline mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 79.4 ± 9.9 mm Hg. The mean difference of OI at 24, 48 and 72 h following the treatment was -15.7 ± 14.8 (p = 0.043), -18.2 ± 12.3 (p = 0.018) and -16.7 ± 17.5 (p = 0.042), respectively. The mean SBP was significantly reduced as early as 6 h after initiation of treatment (-11.1 ± 11.5 mm Hg, p = 0.034) without changes in heart rate. Three cases were complicated with chronic lung disease, and the remaining 4 cases were normal at hospital discharge. No neurodevelopmental and cardiopulmonary disorders were observed in all cases at 1 year of age. CONCLUSIONS: BPS may be used as an alternative treatment for infants with PPHN giving a significant improvement in oxygenation.