ABSTRACT
Early reports of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) therapy in near-term and term newborns with hypoxemic respiratory failure and persistent pulmonary hypertension described marked improvements in gas exchange (1,2), and subsequent randomized trials demonstrated that iNO decreased the need for extracorporeal life support in this population (3,4). iNO is uniquely suited to the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn due to its selectivity for the pulmonary circulation and the absence of apparent shortterm toxicities when used at low doses.
