RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Randomised controlled double blind study of role of recombinant erythropoietin in the prevention of chronic lung disease
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
JO Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP F190
OP F192
DO 10.1136/fn.76.3.F190
VO 76
IS 3
A1 Gill Griffiths
A1 Ranjit Lall
A1 Sue Chatfield
A1 Andrew Short
A1 Peter Mackay
A1 Paula Williamson
A1 Julia Brown
A1 Malcolm I Levene
YR 1997
UL http://fn.bmj.com/content/76/3/F190.abstract
AB AIM To evaluate the role of recombinant human erythropoietin (R-HuEpo) in reducing iron infusion, which may exacerbate free radical damage, leading to chronic lung disease. METHODS A multicentre, randomised, placebo controlled, double blind study was carried out in four neonatal intensive care units in Yorkshire. Infants were randomly allocated and received either R-HuEpo (480 U/kg/wk) or placebo by twice weekly subcutaneous injection. The primary outcome measure was the number of days on respiratory support and a secondary outcome the number of blood transfusions required. RESULTS Forty two very low birthweight (VLBW) infants were randomly allocated. There was little difference in the need for respiratory support one month after randomisation, but subsequently there was a trend towards a reduction in the proportion requiring respiratory support in the R-HuEpo group (difference at three months −0.50, 95% confidence interval −1.00, 0.17). During stay in hospital, the median number of blood transfusions was lower for infants in the R-HuEpo group (difference in medians −2, 95% CI −4, 0). The study was stopped early because of failure to recruit babies at the expected rate. CONCLUSIONS R-HuEpo seems to reduce the number of days in oxygen for ill VLBW infants. These data could be used to construct a larger multicentre study to evaluate this effect further.