Pulmonary and Circulatory Function in Preterm Lambs Treated with Hydrocortisone in utero

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Abstract
The effects of the in utero intravenous administration of hydrocortisone on postnatal lung function and pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics were studied in preterm fetal lambs and compared with those of non-treated animals of similar gestational ages. The results indicate that steroid-induced changes in lung pressure volume curves, although statistically significant, did not render the pretreated fetuses capable of surviving without ventilatory assistance. In addition, the ductus arteriosus in the steroid-treated lambs at 2 h of age was functionally closed or constricted regardless of gestational age. In contrast, in the untreated lambs the ductus arteriosus was widely patent and, especially in lambs of less than 120 days gestation, there was invariably a large left-to-right ductal shunt.

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