Pulmonary Haemorrhage Associated with Neonatal Neurological Disease

Lodha, Abhay; Shah, Prakesh S.; Hellmann, Jonathan

doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2008.07.001

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Volume 18, Issue 1 , Pages 45-48, February 2009

Pulmonary Haemorrhage Associated with Neonatal Neurological Disease

Abhay Lodha, MBBS, MD, DM, M.Sc
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Foothills Medical Centre, Institute of Maternal & Child Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Corresponding author at: Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Rm C211, 1403-29th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N2T9. Tel.: +1 403 944 8163; fax: +1 403 944 4892.
Prakesh S. Shah, MD, MRCP, FRCPC
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Jonathan Hellmann, MBBCh, FCP (SA), FRCPC
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Received 12 March 2008; received in revised form 3 July 2008; accepted 5 July 2008.

Pulmonary haemorrhage (PH) following a neurological insult is referred to as neurogenic pulmonary haemorrhage. This entity has not been described in neonates. We conducted a retrospective study of 50 neonates with PH, with and without a preceding neurological insult. Among 10/22 neonates with a preceding neurological insult, no other predisposing factor or factor associated with PH was identified. Although we speculate that in some neonates, PH may have a neurogenic origin, similar to that described in older patients, a more detailed prospective study is required. Such a prospective study requires sufficient patient numbers and clinical measures to permit a statistically powered analysis of the risk of developing a PH in those with and without neurological injury before we can confidently assert that a neurogenic injury has a causative role in PH.

Abbreviations: PH, pulmonary haemorrhage, NPH, neurogenic pulmonary haemorrhage

Keywords: Neonates, Clinical measures, Injury