[Drug treatments of respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants].

Over the last decade there has been major progresses in the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of the respiratory distress syndrome of the neonate (RDS). This has resulted in a better understanding of the function of the surfactant system of the lung, whose deficiency almost invariably causes the onset of RDS. In the last eight years, great efforts have been devoted to the development and validation of surfactant replacement therapy for RDS. Natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic surfactants have been developed and tested in a variety of clinical settings, and many clinical trials have shown the validity of such therapeutical options. Surfactant replacement therapy is now routinely used in neonatal intensive care units. However, many questions need to be answered concerning the first choice between the different surfactant preparations and their administration modalities.