Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Extremely Preterm Infants Randomized to Stress Dose Hydrocortisone

作者：Parikh Nehal A^*; Kennedy Kathleen A; Lasky Robert E; Tyson Jon E

来源：PLos One, 2015, 10(9): e0137051.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0137051

Objective
To compare the effects of stress dose hydrocortisone therapy with placebo on survival without neurodevelopmental impairments in high-risk preterm infants.
Study Design
We recruited 64 extremely low birth weight (birth weight <= 1000g) infants between the ages of 10 and 21 postnatal days who were ventilator-dependent and at high-risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Infants were randomized to a tapering 7-day course of stress dose hydrocortisone or saline placebo. The primary outcome at follow-up was a composite of death, cognitive or language delay, cerebral palsy, severe hearing loss, or bilateral blindness at a corrected age of 18-22 months. Secondary outcomes included continued use of respiratory therapies and somatic growth.
Results
Fifty-seven infants had adequate data for the primary outcome. Of the 28 infants randomized to hydrocortisone, 19 (68%) died or survived with impairment compared with 22 of the 29 infants (76%) assigned to placebo (relative risk: 0.83; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.14). The rates of death for those in the hydrocortisone and placebo groups were 31% and 41%, respectively (P = 0.42). Randomization to hydrocortisone also did not significantly affect the frequency of supplemental oxygen use, positive airway pressure support, or need for respiratory medications.
Conclusions
In high-risk extremely low birth weight infants, stress dose hydrocortisone therapy after 10 days of age had no statistically significant effect on the incidence of death or neurodevelopmental impairment at 18-22 months. These results may inform the design and conduct of future clinical trials.

• 出版日期2015-9-16