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Uso precoz de la eritropoyetina en la prevención de la anemia del prematuro

2000; Q16635223; Volume: 128; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4067/s0034-98872000001200002

0717-6163

Antonio Salvadó G., Pamela Ramolfo B., Marisol Escobar M., Alejandra Núñez C, Inés Aguayo T., Janaki Devi C. H., Lina Sánchez G., Angela Cabello M,

Blood transfusion and management

Anemia is common among very low birth weight newborns and requires frequent blood transfusions. Erythropoietin was been reported to be useful in the prevention of this anemia.To assess the benefits of early (before the third week of life) Human recombinant Erythropoietin (r-EPO) administration to reduce the requirement of blood transfusions in very low birth weight newborns.Sixty newborns under 1500 g of birthweight were randomly assigned to receive r-EPO (n = 29) or placebo (n = 31) three times per week, during four weeks. Packed red cell volume and reticulocyte counts were measured weekly. Serum erythropoietin was measured prior to eighth dose. Transfusion requirements were recorded.r-EPO reduced transfusions from 1.41 +/- 1.1 to 0.69 +/- 1 transfusions/newborns (p < 0.001). At the fourth week of treatment, reticulocyte count was 14.8 +/- 7 and 6.4 +/- 4.9% in the active treatment group and placebo group respectively (p < 0.001).r-EPO reduces the requirement of transfusions in low birth weight infants.