Safety and tolerability of continuous inhaled iloprost in critically ill pediatric pulmonary hypertension patients: A retrospective case series

Inhaled iloprost (iILO) has shown efficacy in treating patients with hypoxic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, inducing selective pulmonary vasodilation and improvement in oxygenation. However, its short elimination half-life of 20-30 min necessitates frequent intermittent dosing (6-9 times per day). Thus, the administration of iILO via continuous nebulization represents an appealing method of drug delivery in the hospital setting. The objectives are: (1) describe our continuous iILO delivery methodology and safety profile in mechanically ventilated pediatric pulmonary hypertension patients; and (2) characterize the initial response of iILO in these pediatric patients currently receiving iNO. Continuous iILO was delivered and well tolerated (median 6 days; range 1-94) via tracheostomy or endotracheal tube using the Aerogen® mesh nebulizer system coupled with a Medfusion® 400 syringe pump. No adverse events or delivery malfunctions were reported. Initiation of iILO resulted in an increase in oxygen saturation from 81.4 ± 8.6 to 90.8 ± 4.1%, p < 0.05. Interestingly, prior iNO therapy for >1 day resulted in a higher response rate to iILO (as defined as a ≥ 4% increase in saturations) compared to those receiving iNO <1 day (85% vs. 50%, p = 0.06). When the use of iILO is considered, continuous delivery represents a safe, less laborious alternative and concurrent treatment with iNO should not be considered a contraindication. However, given the retrospective design and small sample size, this study does not allow the evaluation of the efficacy of continuous iILO on outcomes beyond the initial response. Thus, a prospective study designed to evaluate the efficacy of continuous iILO is necessary.