Is inhaled nitric oxide a miraculous molecule? The analysis of nitric oxide use in newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

Aim: The aim of this study was to establish a set of hospitalised patients with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) by using retrospective analysis according to gestational age, position during childbirth, type of childbirth, dosage and length of the treatment by inhaled nitric oxide (NO) and application of inotropic agents as well as interindividual specifics and the background of PPHN.

Results: Our cohort consisted of 11 newborns who were hospitalised in Neonatal Department of Intensive Medicine between 1st January 2017 and 31st December 2019. Four of these patients were born prematurely. Only two out of eleven patients were born vaginally. Nine of the newborns were diagnosed with secondary PPHN, in three of these cases it was caused by infection. The highest dose of inhaled nitric oxide used was 40 ppm.

Conclusion: The focus of this paper was the therapeutic use of nitric oxide, its various applications and the effect of it on pulmonary circulation of the newborn. Inhaled NO is a selective pulmonary vasodilator used as a therapeutic agent for PPHN of the newborn. The conclusions of this paper can be beneficial in the development of better therapeutic strategies for patients with PPHN in the future (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 40).