[Use of Exosurf Neonatal, a synthetic surfactant, in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in the newborn].

The efficacy of double endotracheal administration of a synthetic surfactant Exosurf Neonatal was assessed in the treatment of 47 newborns with grave forms of the respiratory distress syndrome. The drug was injected during the first day of life to babies born after gestation period of up to 36 weeks kept on forced ventilation of the lungs. The drug dose was 5 ml/kg b.w. Gaseous composition of the blood, parameters of ventilation and hemodynamics were monitored over the course of treatment. The surfactant improved the gas-exchange function of the lungs and the respiratory mechanics, which manifested by improvement of the alveolar-arterial index and the ventilation efficacy index. A rapid improvement of the parameters of artificial ventilation in infants administered this surfactant led to twofold reduction of the incidence of complications caused by air outflow from the lungs and threefold reduction of the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. By days 7 and 28 of life the survival of children administered the surfactant was two times higher than in the control group.