Should Infants Transported on Prostaglandin E1 Be Intubated?
In the neonate with a congenital heart defect, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) can be life saving. PGE1 dilates the ductus arteriosus, providing pulmonary or systemic blood flow in infants with ductal-dependent lesions. PGE1 is often started as soon as the cardiac defect is recognized and continued until the infant has reached the center where definitive treatment can be performed.There has been concern, however, that because one side effect of PGE1 is apnea, neonates transported while receiving the drug should be electively intubated prior to transport. Intubating the infant obviates the need to secure an airway in case of an emergency during transport, should apnea occur. Because endotracheal intubation and transporting the neonate on mechanical ventilation are associated with their own risks, a study was conducted to compare complications that occur during transport of intubated and unintubated neonates on PGE1.A retrospective review of infants with a diagnosis of congenital heart defect wh
