Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 1998;78:F38-F42 ( January )
Does positive pressure ventilation increase arginine vasopressin
in preterm neonates?
Heather J Lambert,a
Peter H Baylis,b
Judith A McAulay,b
Malcolm G Coulthardc
a Department of Child Health, University of
Newcastle upon Tyne, b Department of Medicine, c Department of Paediatric
Nephrology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne
Correspondence to: Dr H J
Lambert Department of Child Health Royal Victoria
Infirmary Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP.
Accepted 18 July 1997
AIM
To examine the effect of intermittent positive
pressure ventilation (IPPV) on plasma arginine vasopressin
concentration (pAVP) in preterm neonates.
METHODSThirty five neonates were classified, at
the time of blood sampling, into three groups: unstable ventilated;
stable ventilated; and stable non-ventilated. A modification of an
extraction method for pAVP was developed for use in studies on very
small babies, and sampling methods were compared.
RESULTSThe pAVP (median, range) was similar in
the ventilated (1.85 pmol/l, 0.5 to 3.4) and non-ventilated (2.0, 0.5 to 2.6) stable babies, but was significantly higher (5.7, 1.1 to 25) in
the unstable group. There was an inverse correlation between systolic
blood pressure and pAVP concentration.
CONCLUSIONSThis study shows that in preterm
neonates pAVP concentration is affected by the clinical condition and
blood pressure, but not by treatment with IPPV.
Keywords:
arginine vasopressin;
assisted ventilation;
systolic
blood pressure
© 1998 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
