Prophylactic Phenobarbital and Whole-Body Cooling for Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

• Published in: The Journal of pediatrics Vol. 157; no. 2; pp. 334 - 336
• Main Authors: Meyn, Donald F., MD, Ness, Jayne, MD, PhD, Ambalavanan, Namasivayam, MD, Carlo, Waldemar A., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Maryland Heights, MO Mosby, Inc 01.08.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Child, Preschool; Cold Temperature; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - therapeutic use; Female; General aspects; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hypothermia, Induced; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain - prevention & control; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain - therapy; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Pediatrics; Phenobarbital - therapeutic use; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Retrospective Studies; Temperature; Treatment Outcome; NDI; HIE; Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; Neurodevelopmental impairment; Human; Pediatrics; Nervous system diseases; Neonatal; Oxygen; Cooling; Psychotropic; Cardiovascular disease; Hypnotic; Anticonvulsant; Cerebral disorder; Prevention; Phenobarbital; Newborn; Ischemia; Encephalopathy; Central nervous system disease; Hypoxia; Whole body; Sedative; Barbiturates
• ISSN: 0022-3476; 1097-6833
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.04.005

In infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cooling reduces death/neurodevelopmental impairment, whereas prophylactic anticonvulsants may not. This retrospective analysis shows no reduction in neurodevelopmental impairment (23% in prophylactic phenobarbital group vs 45% in controls, P = .3) but fewer clinical seizures in cooled infants who received prophylactic phenobarbital (15% vs 82% P < .0001).