American journal of perinatology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparative evaluation of caffeine and theophylline for weaning premature infants from the ventilator.
Expedient weaning of infants from the respirator minimizes the risk of complications associated with assisted ventilation. Since theophylline and caffeine decrease apnea and enhance respiratory effort, we conducted a blinded, randomized comparative evaluation of each drug to determine extubation time and incidence of reintubation. ⋯ Three theophylline- and three caffeine-treated infants developed respiratory failure necessitating reintubation (NS). These findings indicate that for premature infants on minimal respiratory settings, the duration of intubation and the incidence of reintubation after treatment with theophylline or caffeine were similar.