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Neonatal respiratory distress from rhinitis medicamentosa
Author(s) -
Osguthorpe J. David,
Shirley Reed
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-198707000-00010
Subject(s) - medicine , respiratory distress , apnea , anesthesia , airway obstruction , nose , airway , pediatrics , surgery
Rhinitis medicamentosa from topical vasoconstrictor abuse results in nasal obstruction which can be life‐threatening in neonates. Neonates are obligate nasal breathers, most learning oral respiration by 2 months of age. A neonate was started on topical phenylephrine at birth, and by 3 weeks of age was having multiple daily episodes of apnea and cyanosis. An evaluation documented edematous, obstructing nasal turbinates, as well as polycythemia, cardiomegaly, and prominence of the pulmonary vasculature. A nasopharyngeal airway alleviated the obstruction until the turbinates recovered, and the other abnormalities quickly resolved.