Prophylactic phenobarbital and whole-body cooling for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Donald F Meyn Jr; Jayne Ness; Namasivayam Ambalavanan; Waldemar A Carlo

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.04.005

Prophylactic phenobarbital and whole-body cooling for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

J Pediatr. 2010 Aug;157(2):334-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.04.005. Epub 2010 May 31.

Authors

Donald F Meyn Jr¹, Jayne Ness, Namasivayam Ambalavanan, Waldemar A Carlo

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. don.meyn@infamedics.com

PMID: 20553847
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.04.005

Abstract

In infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cooling reduces death/neurodevelopmental impairment, whereas prophylactic anticonvulsants may not. This retrospective analysis shows no reduction in neurodevelopmental impairment (23% in prophylactic phenobarbital group vs 45% in controls, P = .3) but fewer clinical seizures in cooled infants who received prophylactic phenobarbital (15% vs 82% P < .0001).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
Child, Preschool
Cold Temperature
Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / therapeutic use*
Female
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Hypothermia, Induced
Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / prevention & control
Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / therapy*
Infant
Male
Phenobarbital / therapeutic use*
Retrospective Studies
Temperature
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Anticonvulsants
Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
Phenobarbital