PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bradley A Kuch
AU  - Alvin L Saville
AU  - Joan Sanchez De Toledo
AU  - Shekhar T Venkataraman
TI  - Inhaled Pulmonary Vasodilators: Are There Indications Within the Pediatric ICU?
AID  - 10.4187/respcare.05360
DP  - 2017 Jun 01
TA  - Respiratory Care
PG  - 678--698
VI  - 62
IP  - 6
4099  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/62/6/678.short
4100  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/62/6/678.full
AB  - Inhaled nitric oxide (INO) is only FDA-cleared for neonates (> 34 weeks gestation) with hypoxic respiratory failure-associated pulmonary hypertension. Off-label use of INO is common in the pediatric population despite a lack of evidence regarding survival benefit, questioning whether the therapy should be considered outside the neonatal period. A lack of definitive evidence combined with increasing health-care costs has led to the use of less costly inhaled prostacyclin as an alternative to INO, presenting unique patient safety concerns. We evaluate the current evidence and patient safety considerations regarding inhaled pulmonary vasodilators in the pediatric population.