Efficacy and complications of oral ibuprofen and intravenous acetaminophen in closure of patent ductus arteriosus of preterm neonates

Previous studies have considered patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) a common finding in premature infants, leading to complications such as intracranial hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis and pulmonary dysplasia. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the efficacy of oral ibuprofen and intravenous acetaminophen in the closure of arterial duct in premature newborns. We also evaluated the complications of each drug.

A cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted at Amiralmomenin Hospital, Semnan City in Iran from April 2012 to December 2017. Subjects were selected through convenient sampling and consisted of all premature infants with patent arterial duct. All of the infants with the diagnosis of PDA were treated with either intravenous acetaminophen or oral ibuprofen. Cardiac echocardiographic findings were assessed in two study groups before and after each treatment course. The complications associated with the two treatment approaches were evaluated in two groups after treatment of each drug.

In general, twenty-four neonates (62.5% females) with the average gestational age of 31.46±3.43 weeks were studied. There was no significant difference in the echocardiographic characteristics in the two treatment groups at the pre and post-treatment periods as well as the side effects of the medications. The average number of treatment cycles in newborns treated with oral ibuprofen (1.06±0.25) was not significantly different compared to those with intravenous acetaminophen (1.25±0.46) (P=0.190). There was no significant difference concerning closure status of the arterial duct in the two treatment groups at the end of the first period (P=0.112) as well as after the second period of treatment (P=0.386).

Our study indicated similar efficacy of oral ibuprofen and intravenous acetaminophen in the closure of the arterial duct. The incidence of complications was not significantly different between the two groups. The results of this study suggest the use of intravenous acetaminophen as a suitable drug for PDA closure, particularly in cases of ibuprofen contraindications.