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Although current guidelines caution against it, routine use of histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) in neonates has been documented in U.S. neonatal care intensive units (NICUs).
Researchers evaluated the frequency and determinants of H2RA or PPI use in a retrospective cohort study of 122,000 infants admitted to NICUs at 43 U.S. children's hospitals from 2006 to 2013. Admissions occurred on postnatal day 0 or 1 and lasted ≥7 days. Results included:
The prevalence of any use of H2RA/PPI was 24% (H2RA, 19%; PPI, 11%; combined, 6%).
H2RA/PPI use was highest in extremely preterm infants (gestational age ≤24 weeks) and term infants.
Median postnatal age at initiation of treatment was 10 days, and median duration…