A Retrospective Review of Infants Receiving Sildenafil

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to assess mortality in an infant population receiving sildenafil. METHODS A retrospective review of hospitalized infants at Children's Hospital Los Angeles who received sildenafil between 2008 and 2012 was conducted. Patient characteristics, comorbidities, and treatment characteristics were analyzed. Primary outcome was mortality at discharge. Sildenafil dosage ranges were based on the Sildenafil in Treatment-Naive Children, Aged 1–17 Years, With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension trial and were categorized as small ( 7.5 mg/kg/day). RESULTS A total of 147 infants were studied. A total of 82% of patients had severe pulmonary hypertension. Our data revealed 29% mortality at discharge. Mortality increased with increasing sildenafil dosage: 14% (small), 19% (medium), 49% (large), and 90% (very large). On multivariate analysis of sildenafil dosage, other pulmonary hypertension therapie...