Changes in Pulmonary Mechanics After the Administration of Surfactant to Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Comment Surfactant replacement improves pulmonary function and gas exchange when used in premature infants with hyaline membrane disease. The beneficial effects reported in this study and others appear to occur in spite of variations in the composition of the surfactant, the dose, and the timing of administration. Further investigation is needed to clarify these important issues so that surfactant can become more widely utilized to treat hyaline membrane disease in neo-nates. Furthermore, the use of this type of therapy to treat (or prevent) other forms of respiratory distress syndrome (i.e., the adult variety) should also be investigated. Mark A. Rockoff, M.D.