Etilefrine Hydrochloride

There are few evidence-based treatment options for chylothorax in newborns. We report on 5 cases of preterm newborn infants who received drainage and continuous etilefrine infusion for clinically significant, refractory chylothorax. Irrespective of the cause of the effusion, etilefrine infusion was associated with a clear decrease in chylous output within 2 to 4 days of initiation with heart rates and blood pressures maintained within the age-normal limits.

Noonan syndrome is associated with lymphatic system structural abnormalities and may present with potentially fatal refractory chylothorax. We report a 2-year-old boy with Noonan syndrome with non-traumatic chylothorax who was refractory to dietary therapy with medium-chain triglyceride milk, octreotide, prednisolone, lymphatic embolisation, and lymphatico-venous anastomosis but improved with etilefrine administration. Etilefrine may be a treatment option for paediatric chylothorax, regardless of the aetiology.