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Prognostic value of the immediate response to surfactant
J Kuint1, B Reichman, L Neumann
1Department of Neonatology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Aim:
To evaluate the association between the immediate response to surfactant treatment and morbidity and mortality in infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome.
Methods:
The response to surfactant was defined as the difference in the arterial:alveolar (delta a:A) ratio before and one hour after the first surfactant dose. Measurements were obtained from 253 Israeli infants participating in the multi-centre Curosurf 4 trial of surfactant replacement therapy.
Results:
Delta a:A ratios ranged from -0.115 to 0.8 and were significantly related to both birth weight and gestational age. Among infants weighing 1001-1500 g mortality decreased from 40% among very bad responders to zero among good responders. The incidence of pneumothorax decreased with better response. Logistic regression analysis showed a hierarchy of predictive power for mortality: birth weight or gestational age; immediate response to surfactant; severity of initial disease.
Conclusion:
The immediate response to surfactant treatment is a significant prognostic indicator for mortality and morbidity.