[High frequency ventilation by oscillation in the treatment of the hyaline membrane disease in severe form].

Seventeen premature babies were ventilated with high frequency oscillation (HFO) for severe hyaline membrane disease. The results were compared to a group of 16 babies ventilated with classical positive pressure ventilation and presenting with hyaline membrane disease of the same severity. The results demonstrated an improvement of the mortality rate with HFO without any significant difference of pulmonary or neurologic complications. Furthermore, a controlled study in order to demonstrate an improvement of this type of ventilation is required.