Comparing the Efficacy of Aminophylline and Caffeine in Treatment of Apnea of Prematurity; A Randomized Clinical Trial

The apnea of prematurity usually occurs at the end of the first week of life in premature infants. In most cases, apnea of premature infants occurs when they reach the appropriate age to be born. The present study aims to compare the effectiveness and adverse effects of caffeine with aminophylline on apnea of prematurity in infants. The present clinical trial has been conducted on 64 premature infants. They were hospitalized in the NICU of Najmiyeh Hospital and divided into 2 groups. 30 infants received a loading dose of 5mg/kg aminophylline followed by a maintenance dose of 1.5mg/kg 3 times a day while 34 infants received a loading dose of 20 mg/kg caffeine followed by a maintenance dose of 5mg/kg once a day. Clinical symptoms and complications of infants, mechanical ventilation time, length of stay and frequency of apnea during treatment were gathered. Eventually 64 premature infants were investigated (p=0.185). Mean of gestational age in infants who received caffeine (group A) was 31.27 weeks and in infants who received aminophylline (group B) was 31.07 weeks (p=0.806). The mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 2.78±1.43 days in group A infants. This was 2.57±1.53 in group B infants. .Mean duration of hospitalization was 18.42±17.18 days in group A and 14.50±9.86 days in group B (p=0. 582).there was no significant difference between caffeine and aminophylline in decreasing apnea attacks (p=0.428). There was no significant difference in decreasing apnea attacks, length of stay and mechanical ventilation time between the two groups.