Effect of Low-Dose Oral Erythromycin on Gastric Aspirates in Ventilated Neonates Less than 32 Weeks of Gestation

Abstract

In this prospective study, the 24-hour gastric aspirate volume was carefully recorded before, 24 and 48 h after administering 1.7 mg/kg/8-hourly of oral erythromycin to 16 ventilated neonates less than 32 weeks of gestation. Their median gestational age was 28.5 weeks (range 23–31 weeks), their median birthweight was 1,045 g (range 690–1,560 g) and the median day of life at which erythromycin was commenced was 9.5 days (range 4–16 days). Prior to administering erythromycin median 24-hour gastric aspirate volume, expressed as a percentage of the milk volume given over the same period, was 38.5% (range 20.0–100%). It was significantly lower 24 h (median 12%, range 0–41%, p = 0.0004) and 48 h (median 5%, range 0–21%, p = 0.0004) after commencing erythromycin. There was also significant reduction of gastric aspirate volume between 24 and 48 h after commencing erythromycin (p = 0.0024). Milk volume increment over the same period was not significant (p = 0.1022). These preliminary results warrant further evaluation through a randomised controlled trial.