[Value of a rapid determination of phosphatidylglycerol in the endotracheal aspirate of the newborn infant in respiratory distress].

An immunological method to measure phosphatidylglycerol (PG) levels was studied in 48 neonates with respiratory distress, by comparing the results with the lecithin sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) and with radioclinical data. In hyaline membrane disease (HMD), PG suggested immaturity in 91% of cases, as did L/S in 78%. In 6 of 20 cases with respiratory distress (30%) from other causes, PG level was low, which allows for discussion on the significance of this biological criterion as opposed to radiological and clinical criteria. This method of PG determination appears to be a more sensitive and reliable measure of lung maturity than the L/S ratio.