WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR SURFACTANT ADMINISTRATION IN NEONATES?

Abstract

Introduction: Surfactant therapy has become the standard for care of preterm infants with respiratory
distress syndrome (RDS) and is increasingly used in term infants with other pathological conditions.
Surfactant administration is one of the greatest advances in neonatal care that has contributed to a drastic
reduction in the mortality of such children.
Objective: Determine the reasons and frequency of surfactant administration in neonatal age and
examine the frequency of pathological conditions according to gestational age.
Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted. The study was conducted in the
period from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. The study included 73 neonatal patients treated with
a surfactant in the Intensive Care Unit at the Clinic for Pediatrics of the University Clinical Hospital
Mostar.
Results: Out of 73 infants, 52.1% were treated with surfactant due to respiratory distress syndrome
(RDS), and 47.9% of the reasons for surfactant administration were other pathological conditions in
neonatology. There were 79.5% of subjects treated with surfactant, who in addition to the underlying
pathological condition had one or more associated pathological conditions; 78.1% of subjects received
two or more surfactant doses repeated on the first or second day of treatment.
Conclusion: Approximately the same number of children received surfactant due to RDS and other
pathological conditions. This leads to the conclusion that the surfactant has significantly improved the
treatment of other pathological conditions in neonatology.