Oral Gentamicin Therapy in the Prevention of Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Title and subTitle BreakA Controlled Double-Blind Trial FREE

Lawrence J. Grylack, MD; John W. Scanlon, MD

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Read in part before the Southern Society for Pediatric Research, New Orleans, January 1978.

Reprint requests to Department of Neonatology, Columbia Hospital for Women, 2425 L St NW, Washington, DC 20037 (Dr Grylack).

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1978;132(12):1192-1194. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1978.02120370040010

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ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

• The value of prophylactic oral gentamicin sulfate therapy in the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was evaluated in a group of 42 high-risk neonates over a four-month period in a randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Twenty babies in the treatment group received 2.5 mg/kg of gentamicin sulfate every six hours for one week after birth, and 22 babies received dextrose-and-water placebo in an equivalently small volume.

None of the 20 gentamicin-treated babies developed NEC. Four of the control babies did. Two of these babies died, and their diagnosis was pathologically confirmed. This difference in the incidence of NEC between the treatment and control groups was significant at the .05 level.

These results support the prophylactic use of orally given gentamicin for selected babies at high risk for NEC, particularly those born prematurely and those who have a history of perinatal asphyxia or umbilical artery catheterization or both. Continued surveillance for changes in antimicrobial sensitivity patterns is recommended.

(Am J Dis Child 132:1192-1194, 1978)

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

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Boyle R, et al: Alterations in stool flora during oral kanamycin prophylaxis of necrotizing enterocolitis . Pediatr Res 12:520, 1978;.

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Book LS, Overall JC, Herbst JJ, et al: Clustering of necrotizing enterocolitis: Interruption by infection-control measures . N Engl J Med 297:984-986, 1977;.

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