The objective of this study was to evaluate lung function and oxygenation index of preterm infants undergoing endotracheal inhaling of beclomethasone and furosemide. We studied 30 newborn preterms with gestational age <36 weeks, undergoing conventional mechanical ventilation for at least 12 hours. Three sequential inhalations with their medications were executed with an interval of three hours between each. We collected samples of arterial blood for gas analysis, and after endotracheal aspiration, the measurement of respiratory variables was performed in two stages, two hours before and after the last inhalation. Dynamic compliance and the oxygenation index showed no statistically significant difference between before and after the medication, however, the airway resistance group demonstrated a reduction in beclomethasone between the moments before and after the intervention (p=0.03). These results cannot imply that inhaled beclomethasone and furosemide exerted significant influence on lung function and oxygenation in the newborn infants studied.
infant, premature; diuretics; beclomethasone; respiratory mechanics