Complications associated with digoxin therapy in low-birth weight infants

Eighteen infants, each weighing less than 1,500 gm, were treated with low dose digoxin therapy for patent ductus arteriosus and signs of circulatory congestion. Nine of the 18 developed one or more signs of clinical deterioration felt to be related to digoxin therapy: eight infants experienced frequ...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 1982-04, Vol.69 (4), p.463-465
Main Authors: Johnson, G L, Desai, N S, Pauly, T H, Cunningham, M D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrhythmias, Cardiac - chemically induced
Bradycardia - chemically induced
Digoxin - administration & dosage
Digoxin - adverse effects
Digoxin - blood
Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - drug therapy
Feeding Behavior - drug effects
Humans
Infant, Low Birth Weight
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature, Diseases - drug therapy
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Eighteen infants, each weighing less than 1,500 gm, were treated with low dose digoxin therapy for patent ductus arteriosus and signs of circulatory congestion. Nine of the 18 developed one or more signs of clinical deterioration felt to be related to digoxin therapy: eight infants experienced frequent episodes of bradycardia, six had cardiac arrhythmias, and six experienced feeding difficulties. All signs disappeared when digoxin therapy was discontinued. Digoxin, even in relatively low dosages, can have deleterious complications in seriously ill low-birth-weight infants. Alternatives to digoxin in this patient population should be considered before institution of digoxin therapy.
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.69.4.463