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Updated: May 8, 2026

Increasing Pulmonary Artery Pulsatile Flow Improves Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension in Piglets
Published on: May 11, 2015
Is sildenafil an effective therapy in the management of persistent pulmonary hypertension?
Hakam Yaseen1, Maha Darwich, Hossam Hamdy
1Department of Pediatric, University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Abstract:
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a life-threatening neonatal pathology resulting from poor hemodynamic and respiratory transition to extra uterine life. Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is a current, commonly used treatment of PPHN. However, iNO is not available therapy in many developing countries and around 50% of infants with PPHN do not respond to iNO therapy. Sildenafil is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor type 5 (PDE5) that has been shown to selectively reduce pulmonary vascular resistance in both animal models and adult humans. Recent studies have found that in PPHN, administration of Sildenafil was associated with a significant increase in the oxygenation and a reduction in mortality with no clinically important side effects.
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