Oral versus intramuscular loading of caffeine in idiopathic apnoea of prematurity

✍ Scribed by L. Cattarossi; V. Colacino; A. Janes; P. LoGreco; S. Rubini; M. Zilli; F. Macagno

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 199 KB
• Volume: 148
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0340-6997
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00441416

✦ Synopsis

The loading dose of caffeine (15 mg/kg) was administered orally to nine newborn babies and intramuscularly to nine others. The oral maintenance dose (2 mg/kg per day) was administered 24 h after the loading dose and then once a day for as long as necessary. The two groups were statistically similar with regard to gestational age, birth weight and Apgar score at 1 and 5 rain. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in serum levels of caffeine at 1,12 or 24 h and 7, 14 or 21 days. Therefore, oral administration appears to be the better route for loading, as it is effective and nontraumatic. Moreover, low maintenance doses allow therapeutic serum levels to be kept to a minimum reducing the likelihood of side-effects.