Patent ductus arteriosus, low platelets, cyclooxygenase inhibitors, and intraventricular hemorrhage in very low birth weight preterm infants.

Objective: To assess the risk for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in very low birth weight preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and low platelet count with treatment with cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors.

Study Design: Diagnosis and treatment of PDA, as well as risk factors for IVH, were assessed using prospectively collected data of all infants born at a gestational age <32 weeks and with a birth weight ≤ 1500 g at Innsbruck University Hospital (January 2003-December 2009). Infants with severe thrombocytopenia (<50 × 10(9)/L) were excluded from analysis.