Surfactant Treatment of Late Preterm Infants during Emergency Transport: A Retrospective, Observational Study

In late preterm infants born in nontertiary hospitals, the occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome requires postnatal transport. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the timing of surfactant administration in late preterm infants needing postnatal transport.

This is a retrospective study evaluating surfactant administration in late preterm infants during emergency transports by the Eastern Veneto Neonatal Emergency Transport Service between January 2005 and December 2019. The outcome measures included short-term clinical complications, stabilization time, oxygen concentration, duration of mechanical ventilation and noninvasive respiratory support, length of hospital stay, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, and sepsis.

Surfactant was administered to 155/303 neonates (51.1%) at 3 different time points: at a referring hospital (50 neonates), when the transport team arrived (25 neonates), or at a referral hospital (80 neonates). Stabilization time was longer in neonates receiving surfactant by the transport team (adjusted mean difference 17 min, 95% confidence interval, 4-29 min; p = 0.01). Decrease in oxygen concentrations during the transport was larger in neonates receiving surfactant at a referring hospital (adjusted mean difference -11%, 95% confidence interval, -15 to -3%; p = 0.01). The other outcome measures were not statistically different according to the timing of surfactant administration.

In late preterm infants with respiratory distress needing postnatal transfer, stabilization time was longer when the first surfactant was administered by the transport team, but such delay did not affect safety and clinical outcomes.