Neonatal drug utilization in very premature infants (gestational age (GA) 24-29 weeks), requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation at birth was registered as part of a multicenter controlled clinical trial of high-dose versus low-dose bovine surfactant (initial doses 100 mg/kg birth weight (b.w.) versus 50 mg/kg b.w.). Drug utilization during 4 weeks after birth was analyzed in 164 infants (mean GA 27.2 ± 1.2 (SD) weeks, b.w. 970 ± 145 g(SD)). More than half of the study infants received antibiotics (98.8%), sedatives and analgesics(91.5%), sodium bicarbonate (78%), solutions for volume replacement (62.8%), methylxanthines(56.7%) and catecholamines (52.4%). It may be concluded that the pattern of drug usage indicates a high incidence of proven or suspected infections and circulatory and respiratory disorders reflecting the high-risk state of study infants.

Keywords:
Very premature infants, Drug utilization, Bovine surfactant, Respiratory distress syndrome, Antibiotics, Sedatives and analgesics
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1991
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