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Abstract
Twenty preterm infants recovering from respiratory distress syndrome at 1 week of
age were randomized in this study either to a control or a treatment group. Those
treated received a single daily dose of furosemide (1 mg/kg) intravenously. Pulmonary
compliance was observed to improve significantly at two hours in the treated group,
as compared with that in the controls. The calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient
was noted to decrease two hours after furosemide and to remain decreased over the
four-day period in the treated group. This improvement in lung function was not secondary
to diuresis in the infants treated with furosemide. We conclude that furosemide may
have a direct pulmonary effect and improve lung function acutely as well as with chronic
administration.