[The use of nitric oxide in the treatment of acute respiratory failure]. / NO v lécbe respiracního selhání.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide was used as an important selective vasodilator in the treatment of acute respiratory failure accompanied with high pulmonary resistance in children and adults since late 80's. METHODS AND RESULTS: Paper includes remarks about nitric oxide physiology in organism. Group of 33 patients is presented (group I 26 newborns, group II 7 children) in which selective pulmonary vasodilation with nitric oxide was used. According to response to NO subject were classified into subgroups of responders, non-responders. In evaluation of oxygenation status OI (oxygenation index, A-a DO2 (alveoloarterial difference) and paO2/FiO2 were used. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences of above mentioned values were revealed between responders and non-responders in group I (newborns). Significant differences were not revealed in group II (children). Results are in accordance with other papers.

[Sodium nitrite poisoning in a neonate]. / Otrava novorozence dusitanem sodným.

Natrium nitrosum intoxication is usually associated with a subsequent methemoglobinemia. Beside it, nitrates can cause also some other pathological states. Treatment with the toluidine blue may have various adverse side effects. Newborn intoxication by natrium nitrosum developing after the intoxication of the bearing mother before the parturition has not been described yet. Our own observation is referred.

[Hearing and treatment of neonates with gentamycin]. / Sluch a lécba novorozencu Gentamycinem.

The authors examined two groups of children treated during neonatal period with high doses of Gentamycin. The reasons for Gentamycin treatment at the intensive care unit were infection of the CNS, pneumopaties, intracranial haemorrhagiae, cerebral oedema and other causes. The first group of children was treated in 1981, the second one in 1986. Both groups were examined in 1987. All children were evaluated to objective hearing tests, impedance audiometry by acoustically evoked potentials of the brain stem. Children of the first group examined during their fifth or sixth year were also submitted to a hearing test. The control group was formed by children born in 1986 treated at the intensive care unit with similar indications but who were not given Gentamycin. A total of 51 children were examined. Twenty-two children examined at the age of five had no hearing impairment. Acoustically evoked potentials of the brain stem have a wide variability which may be the manifestation of the disease which led to admission to the intensive care unit. Therefore it should be conceived as a screening examination and the revealed pathological findings should be verified by repeated examinations. Possible hearing disorders should be confirmed at a later age by conventional examinations.