Evaluation of the causal effects between dopamine infusion changeover and fluctuations in mean arterial pressure in neonates

Katherine Kirupakaran, Paula de Sousa, Celine Le Roux, Lauren Redwood, Heike Rabe, Bhavik Patel

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Objective: To evaluate whether changing dopamine infusions every 12 hours and preparing these infusions 30 min before administration reduces blood pressure fluctuations in preterm and term neonates.
    Design: This was a retrospective study using data from live patients on the neonatal unit and prospective study exploring stability of infusions in a laboratory-based neonatal ward simulation.
    Setting: Single-centre study in a tertiary neonatal surgical unit in a university teaching hospital.
    Patients Neonates who received more than one subsequent dopamine infusion and had invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring, during their admission in the neonatal unit, were included.
    Interventions: As part of the Quality Improvement project, the standard operating procedure (SOP) was changed, and dopamine infusions were prepared by nursing staff and left to rest for 30 min before administering to the neonate. Additionally, infusions were replaced every 12 hours.
    Main outcome measures: The percentage change in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and the percentage loss in the drug concentration during infusion during changeover.
    Results Our findings indicate that up to 15% of the initial dopamine concentration is lost after 24 hours. This results in a sharp variation in the dopamine concentration during infusion changeover that correlates with observed rapid fluctuations in MAP. In changing the SOP, no significant difference in the concentration of dopamine and MAP were observed over 12 hours.
    Conclusions: Delaying administration of dopamine infusions by 30 min after preparation combined with changing infusions 12 hourly has reduced MAP fluctuations. Therefore, the risks associated with MAP fluctuations, including intraventricular haemorrhages, are reduced.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)390-394
    JournalArchives of Disease in Childhood
    Volume105
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 30 Aug 2019

    Bibliographical note

    This article has been accepted for publication in Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2019, following peer review, and the Version of Record can be accessed online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2019-317123

    Keywords

    • intensive care
    • neonatology
    • pharmacology

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