ArticleItalian journal of pediatrics2017
Pattern of drug use among preterm neonates: results from an Italian neonatal intensive care unit.
Article in Italian journal of pediatrics, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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13 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preterm Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model. Part II: Applications of the Model to Predict Drug Pharmacokinetics in the Preterm Population.Clinical pharmacokinetics · 2020Trial
- Off-Label Medication Use in a Serbian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Impact of targeted infection prevention and control interventions on bloodstream infections and colonization with carbapenem-resistant organisms among hospitalized neonates, Bangladesh, 2023-2024.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2026Article
- Neonatology: First Exposure to Antibiotics from the Ethical Perspective of Parents, Physicians, and Regulators.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Off-Label and Unlicenced Medicine Use among Hospitalised Children in South Africa: Practice and Policy Implications.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Impact of nephrotoxic drugs on urinary biomarkers of renal function in very preterm infants.Pediatric research · 2022Observational
- Review of Drug Utilization Studies in Neonatal Units: A Global Perspective.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Review
- Furosemide use in Italian neonatal intensive care units: a national survey.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2020Article
- Off-label and unlicensed drug use in Ayder comprehensive specialized hospital neonatal intensive care unit.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2020Article
- Characteristics of prescription in 29 Level 3 Neonatal Wards over a 2-year period (2017-2018). An inventory for future research.PloS one · 2019Observational
- Caffeine Protects Against Anticonvulsant-Induced Impaired Neurogenesis in the Developing Rat Brain.Neurotoxicity research · 2018Article
- Advances in pediatrics in 2017: current practices and challenges in allergy, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, immunology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, pulmonology from the perspective of Italian Journal of Pediatrics.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2018Review
- Clinical Characteristics, Medication Prescription Pattern, and Treatment Outcomes at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Health-Care Facility in Ghana.Journal of research in pharmacy practiceArticle
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDrug use in preterm neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been investigated, so far, in terms of unauthorized or off-label use; very little is known on the use of combinations of different active substances, which is frequently required in this population (prophylaxis of infections, treatment of concomitant diseases). The aim of this study was to describe the most common patterns of drug use in an Italian NICU, focusing on those with nephrotoxic potential.
methodsMedical records of preterm neonates (<37 weeks of gestational age) weighing less than 1,500 g at birth and admitted to an Italian NICU were scrutinized in a 3-year retrospective investigation. Analysis included drug exposure, duration of therapies, co-administration of drugs with potential renal side effects; also daily protein supplement was calculated from parenteral nutrition.
resultsA cohort of 159 preterm neonates was selected; 68 were born weighing less than 1,000 g (extremely low birth weight infants, ELBW, Group A), 91 weighed between 1,000 and 1,500 g at birth (Group B). Compared to Group B, neonates of Group A were more likely to receive pharmacological treatments: the most used drugs were antibiotics (especially ampicillin and amikacin, p = .07 and p < .001, respectively), antifungals (especially fluconazole, p < .001), and diuretics (especially furosemide, p < .001). Analysis of co-administration of drugs with potential nephrotoxicity showed ampicillin and amikacin as the most reported combination (94.1% of Group A and 31.9% of Group B), the combination of furosemide with antibacterials (ampicillin or amikacin) was also frequently reported, with average period of combination shorter than 2 days.
conclusionsELBW infants were exposed to a higher number of drugs compared to other neonates and were more likely to receive associations of drugs with nephrotoxic potential (e.g. furosemide and amikacin), though only for short cycles. Further studies should evaluate the safety profile (especially potential renal side effects) related to most commonly used combinations.
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