[Surfactant therapy in severe neonatal respiratory failure--multicenter study--III. Surfactant therapy in 41 premature infants < 34 weeks with suspected congenital infection (case-control analysis)].

As a part of a multicenter study (424 patients, 16 hospitals) 41 ventilated very low birth weight infants (24-33 gestational weeks, 640-1560 g), who were suspected to have connatal pneumonia, were treated with a bovine surfactant (Alveofact, 50-200 mg/kgBW). Using a case control design they were compared with 41 patients having IRDS. There were no differences between the collectives with regard to the acute response to surfactant, the clinical course, and the outcome at the 28. d of life. Accidental treatment with natural surfactant in very immature neonates suffering from severe respiratory distress due to connatal pneumonia resp. connatal pneumonia accompanying IRDS seems not to harm these patients.