Elbilgahy Amal Ahmed, Jothirajan Deepa, Alanazi Lujain Obaid, Alanazi Fai Abduallah, Alanazi Maryam Gharbi, Alanazi Atheer Saleh
Maternal and Child Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Dakahlia, Egypt.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2025 Aug 8;18:4903-4918. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S532177. eCollection 2025.
We examined nursing knowledge, care practices, and risk factors for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in newborns receiving surfactant therapy at a Saudi Arabian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Our observational study included 53 NICU nurses and 381 newborns (28-42 weeks gestation) with RDS. We assessed nurses' knowledge through questionnaires, observed their care practices, and reviewed newborn medical records.
Less than half of the nurses (47.2%) showed a strong understanding of RDS and surfactant therapy, with gaps in recognizing diagnostic methods (only 24.5% correct) and risk factors (60.4% incorrect). Most nurses (69.8%) provided competent care, especially those with more education (p < 0.001) or training (p = 0.002). Newborns averaged 35.9 weeks gestation with initial APGAR scores of 5.8. Key risks included premature birth (71.9%), cesarean delivery (63.8%), maternal diabetes (24.2%), and insufficient antenatal steroids (only 24.4% of mothers received full doses).
Our findings highlight opportunities to enhance nursing education about RDS, particularly in diagnosis and risk recognition. Implementing standardized care protocols for surfactant therapy and increasing antenatal steroid use could improve newborn outcomes. Preventing premature birth remains crucial for reducing RDS risk.
我们在沙特阿拉伯的一家新生儿重症监护病房（NICU），对接受表面活性剂治疗的新生儿呼吸窘迫综合征（RDS）的护理知识、护理实践及风险因素进行了研究。
我们的观察性研究纳入了53名NICU护士和381例患有RDS的新生儿（孕周28 - 42周）。我们通过问卷调查评估护士的知识水平，观察他们的护理实践，并查阅新生儿病历。
不到一半的护士（47.2%）对RDS和表面活性剂治疗有深入理解，在识别诊断方法（只有24.5%正确）和风险因素（60.4%错误）方面存在差距。大多数护士（69.8%）提供了胜任的护理，尤其是那些受教育程度更高（p < 0.001）或接受过更多培训的护士（p = 0.002）。新生儿平均孕周为35.9周，初始阿氏评分5.8分。主要风险包括早产（71.9%）、剖宫产（63.8%）、母亲患糖尿病（24.2%）以及产前类固醇使用不足（只有24.4%的母亲接受了全剂量）。
我们的研究结果凸显了加强RDS护理教育的机会，特别是在诊断和风险识别方面。实施表面活性剂治疗的标准化护理方案以及增加产前类固醇的使用可改善新生儿结局。预防早产对于降低RDS风险仍然至关重要。
