Early regular versus late selective poractant treatment in preterm infants born between 25 and 30 gestational weeks:

Uğur Dilmen1, Ramazan Özdemir, Hatice Tatar Aksoy

  • 1Zekai Tahir Burak Maternity and Teaching Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit , Ankara , Turkey .

Insights

Early surfactant (ES) treatment for preterm infants reduced rates of intraventricular hemorrhage and pneumothorax compared to late selective (LS) treatment. However, ES did not significantly impact bronchopulmonary dysplasia rates or overall mortality.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Neonatal Intensive Care

Background:

  • Surfactant replacement therapy is crucial for preterm infants.
  • Early surfactant administration may improve neonatal outcomes.
  • Comparing early versus late selective surfactant treatment is essential for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the effects of early surfactant (ES) administration versus late selective (LS) treatment on neonatal outcomes in preterm infants.
  • To evaluate the impact of ES versus LS on mechanical ventilation, respiratory support duration, and major neonatal morbidities.

Main Methods:

  • Randomized controlled trial involving preterm infants (25-30 weeks gestational age).
  • Infants were randomized to receive Curosurf® either within 1 hour (ES) or within 6 hours (LS) of birth.
  • Outcomes included rates of BPD, ROP, mortality, pneumothorax, PDA, NEC, and IVH (≥ grade III).

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were observed in the rates of mechanical ventilation, nCPAP duration, oxygen requirement duration, PDA, NEC, BPD, ROP stage >3, or mortality between the ES and LS groups.
  • The ES group demonstrated significantly lower rates of pneumothorax and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) ≥ grade III compared to the LS group.
  • Forty-four percent of infants in the LS group required surfactant, while 8.9% in the ES group needed a second dose.

Conclusions:

  • Early surfactant (ES) administration in preterm infants is associated with reduced rates of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and pneumothorax.
  • ES treatment does not appear to affect the rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) when compared to late selective (LS) treatment.
  • The findings suggest potential benefits of early surfactant administration for specific morbidities in preterm neonates.
Abstract

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