Long term trigger ventilation in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome

Experience of using an SLE 2000 neonatal trigger ventilator as the sole means of ventilation in 68 infants with respiratory distress syndrome was reviewed. No death or complication was seen in 22 infants with a birth weight above 1500 g. Forty five infants under 1500 g birth weight including 18 infants between 23 and 28 weeks' gestation were trigger ventilated throughout. Six infants died, four of whom were under 28 weeks' gestation. Two infants under 1500 g birth weight sustained a pneumothorax while being ventilated. Nine of 61 infants (15%) had radiological evidence of pulmonary interstitial emphysema, which was mild in seven infants. Intraventricular haemorrhage occurred in 10 babies under 1500 g, four of these being grade III or IV. Twenty two (48%) of the babies under 1500 g required added oxygen at 28 days. The preliminary clinical experience of this trigger ventilator suggests that it is capable of providing respiratory support from birth to extubation in even the most immature infants with respiratory distress syndrome. A controlled clinical trial is now required to compare the safety and efficacy of patient triggered ventilation with conventional neonatal ventilation.