Is Dopamine an Iatrogenic Disruptor of Thyroid and Cortisol Function in the Extremely Premature Infant?

Table 1

Comparison of infants exposed to dopamine and infants not exposed to dopamine treatment.

	Dopamine exposure; (D+); 𝑁=35	No dopamine (D−); 𝑁=43	Difference (95% CI D+ minus D−)	𝑃 value
Gender (males)	𝑛=35	𝑛=43		0.497^𝛽
	21.0 (60%)	22 (51%)	0.09 (−0.26, 0.54)
Gestation (weeks)	𝑛=35	𝑛=43	−1.44 (−1.93, −0.93)	<0.001
	24.54 (1.27)	25.98 (0.98)
Maternal steroids	𝑛=35	𝑛=43	0.08 (−0.68, 2.65)	0.210^𝛽
	33.0 (94%)	37.0 (86%)
Maternal age	𝑛=35	𝑛=43	−6.19 (−16.62, 4.24)	0.241
	27.97 (4.42)	30.16 (30.47)
Lowest mean arterial pressure	𝑛=35	𝑛=43	−4.77 (−7.01, −2.49)	<0.001
	22.0 (4.92)	26.75 (3.87)
Highest blood lactate in the first 12 hours	𝑛=30	𝑛=42	0.34 (−1.11, 1.80)	0.121
	6.44 (3.32)	6.10 (2.74)
CRIB score	𝑛=35	𝑛=43	3.51 (1.92, 5.10)	<0.001
	7.25 (4.03)	3.74 (2.67)
FT4 (pmol/L)	𝑛=34	𝑛=40	−7.19 (−9.81, −4.58)	<0.001
	6.48 (4.01)	13.61 (5.01)
TSH (mU/L)	𝑛=34	𝑛=40	−0.78 (−1.92, 0.36)	0.177^#
	Median 2.21	Median 2.98
	IQR (1.1, 3.4)	IQR (2.32)
TT4 (nmol/L)	𝑛=30	𝑛=28	−33.68 (−51.49, −15.86)	0.018
	46.22 (33.60)	79.90 (32.87)
TT3 (nmol/L)	𝑛=17	𝑛=20	−0.38 (−0.58, −0.18)	0.012
	0.40 (0.22)	0.77 (0.35)
Cortisol (nmol/L)	𝑛=34	𝑛=40	219.26	0.380
	521.67 (454.80)	480.40 (192.50)	(54.44, 384.08)

Data expressed as mean (SD) for continuous parametric outcomes, Student’s 𝑡-test; 𝑥 (%) for categorical outcomes, 𝛽chi-square, median, and interquartile ranges (IQR) for nonparametric outcomes; #Mann-Whitney 𝑈 and difference in medians calculated using Hodges-Lehmann estimate and Moses distribution free 95% confidence interval.