1 Newborn Medicine Service, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA 98431-5473
To the Editor.
Barrington et al1 recently undertook an investigation designed to elucidate the mechanism of action and clinical effects of doxapram in neonates. There is currently considerable interest in the use of this agent as a therapeutic adjunct in cases of refractory apnea,2-4 and the study by Barrington et al offers important additional insights into the pharmacophysiology of this agent. However, as we reviewed the literature in preparation for using this agent at our institution, an alarming potential complication of doxapram usage emerged.