Abstract
The authors investigated the effect of nitrogen oxide (iNO) inhalation in 37 neonates and infants after surgery of congenital heart disease. iNO was administered after surgery for 1 to 13 days (median 4 days), 6 to 60 ppm (median 11 ppm), using a Pulmonox mini apparatus. When testing the reactivity of the pulmonary circulation after inhalation of 10 ppm a significant rise of the arterial oxygen tension was recorded from 83 +- 40 mm Hg to 135 +- 62 mm Hg (p < 0.001) and of saturation from 95 +- 5% to 98 +- 2% (p < 0.001.
Conclusion: Inhaled nitrogen oxide in small amounts improved significantly arterial oxygenation in neonates and infants early after correction of a congenital cardiac defect with pulmonary hypertension. Preventive administration of iNO inhibited the reactivity of the pulmonary circulation but did not prevent entirely the development of pulmonary crises during the early postoperative period.