[Reversal of a right-left shunt and permanent improvement of oxygenation by inhalation of nitrogen monoxide in a premature infant with lung hypoplasia and asphyxia].

We report the case of a 29 weeks gestation female premature infant who suffered from severe postnatal asphyxia following spontaneous vaginal delivery. Prenatally lung hypoplasia due to prematurely ruptured membranes with subsequent oligohydramnios was suspected sonographically. Echocardiography revealed right-to-left shunting via PDA and foramen ovale, in addition to that tricuspid incompetence with a pulmonary arterial pressure gradient of 40 mmHg was demonstrated. At an oxygenation index (OI) of 34, an arterio-alveolar oxygen difference (AaDO2) of 639 mmHg, an FiO2 of 1.0 and a maximal paO2 of 37 mmHg during high frequency ventilation (HFV), we applied inhaled nitric oxide (up to 70 ppm) for a duration of approximately 30 hours. Within two hours the inspiratory oxygen concentration could be weaned to an FiO2 of 0.21, mean airway pressures were reduced markedly. Echocardiographically tricuspid incompetence had disappeared, the PDA was closed and now left-to-right shunting across the foramen ovale was demonstrated. The infant was extubated on day 5 and subsequently had oxygen requirements up to an FiO2 of 0.3 during spontaneous breathing for 20 days.