[Indomethacin in the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in premature newborn infants].

The effectiveness of indomethacin versus usual medical treatment with fluid restriction to 75% of the volume given in the previous days, with or without frusemide (UMT), for the closure of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (HSPDA) was retrospectively studied in 87 premature infants under 2,000 g admitted to our nursery from year 1978 throughout 1988. Among 16 babies, treated from the beginning with indomethacin and UMT, HSPDA was closed 72 h later in 14 (87.5%), versus only 14 closures in 71 babies (19.7%) treated by UMT alone (p < 0.01). Of the 57 babies whose HSPDA failed to close with UMT alone, 23 were given indomethacin and successful closure was seen in 16 (69.6%), while among 34 babies remaining on UMT alone, closure resulted in only 7 (20.6%) (p < 0.01). Intravenous route for administration and early use of indomethacin (before age 7 days) proved to have significantly higher success rates than oral route and use of the drug after age 7 days.