Comparison of oral ibuprofen and indomethacin therapy for patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

Objective: Intravenous indomethacin is the conventional treatment for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants; however its use is associated with various side effects such as oliguria, gastrointestinal bleeding and reduction of cerebral perfusion. Intravenous ibuprofen has recently been used to treat PDA in preterm infants without reducing cerebral blood flow or affecting intestinal or renal hemodynamics. Intravenous forms of indomethacin and ibuprofen are not available in Iran. This study aimed to examine and compare the efficacy and safety of oral ibuprofen and oral indomethacin for the treatment of PDA in preterm infants.

Methods: Thirty-six infants (gestational age less than 34 weeks) who had echocardiographically confirmed PDA were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly administered with three oral doses of either indomethacin (0.2 mg/kg, at an interval of 24 hrs) or ibuprofen (a first dose of 10 mg/kg, followed at an interval of 24 hrs by two doses of 5 mg/kg each) (n=18 each group). The rate of ductal closure, side effects, complications, and the infants' clinical course were recorded.

Results: The ductus was closed in all of 18 patients (100%) in the ibuprofen group and in 15 (83.3%) patients in the indomethacin group (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine between the two groups before and after treatment. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) occurred in 3 patients in the indomethacin group and none in the ibuprofen group (P < 0.05). The survival rate at 1 month after treatment was 94% (17/18) in both groups. One infant in the ibuprofen group died from sepsis and one in the indomethacin group died as a result of NEC.

Conclusions: Oral ibuprofen is as effective as oral indomethacin for the treatment of PDA in preterm infants. Oral ibuprofen therapy is associated with a lower incidence of NEC.