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A Controlled Double-Blind Trial

Lawrence J. Grylack, MD; John W. Scanlon, MD

Am J Dis Child. 1978;132(12):1192-1194.

Abstract
• The value of prophylactic oral gentamicin sulfate therapy in the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was evaluated in a group of 42 high-risk neonates over a four-month period in a randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Twenty babies in the treatment group received 2.5 mg/kg of gentamicin sulfate every six hours for one week after birth, and 22 babies received dextrose-and-water placebo in an equivalently small volume.

None of the 20 gentamicin-treated babies developed NEC. Four of the control babies did. Two of these babies died, and their diagnosis was pathologically confirmed. This difference in the incidence of NEC between the treatment and control groups was significant at the .05 level.

These results support the prophylactic use of orally given gentamicin for selected babies at high risk for NEC, particularly those born prematurely and those who have a history of perinatal asphyxia or umbilical artery catheterization or both. Continued surveillance for changes in antimicrobial sensitivity patterns is recommended.

(Am J Dis Child 132:1192-1194, 1978)

Author Affiliations
From the Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and the Department of Neonatology, Columbia Hospital for Women, Washington, DC.

Footnotes
Read in part before the Southern Society for Pediatric Research, New Orleans, January 1978.

Reprint requests to Department of Neonatology, Columbia Hospital for Women, 2425 L St NW, Washington, DC 20037 (Dr Grylack).

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