Inhaled Drugs and Systemic Corticosteroids for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Abstract

All definitions of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have limitations and a new definition for the purpose of clinical research, benchmarking, and prognostic prediction is needed. Different inhaled and systemic drugs are currently used to prevent or treat BPD. Despite some positive effects on BPD, more information about the effects of inhaled corticosteroids is required to assess overall efficacy and associated risks. One needs to balance the risks of neurodevelopmental impairment owing to systemic corticosteroids against those of BPD itself. Future studies should, therefore, focus on infants with a very high risk of developing BPD and include pharmacokinetics and long-term developmental outcomes.

Keywords: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; Dexamethasone; Hydrocortisone; Inhaled bronchodilators; Inhaled corticosteroids; Pharmacology; Systemic corticosteroids.