Effect of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure after Early Surfactant Therapy in Moderate Respiratory Distress Syndrome

PURPOSE: Early surfactant therapy with either gentle ventilation, high-frequency ventilation or aggressive weaning of mechanical ventilation are principles for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome(RDS). We studied to determine the accessibility of noninvasive nasal continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) rather than mechanical ventilation by invasive intubation after early surfactant therapy. METHODS: The study group consisted of 14 infants who were born and diagnosed with moderate respiratory distress syndrome and received early surfactant therapy with nasal CPAP of PEEP 5-6 cm H2O within two hours after birth in the Fatima neonatal intensive care unit for two years from January 1999 to August 2001. The control group consisted of 15 infants who were diagnosed with the disease and could be weaned from mechanical ventilator within five days after birth during the same period. RESULTS: The characteristics, the severity of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings in the two groups at birth showed no significant difference. Neither did the interim analysis of laboratory data in two groups. Of 14 infants in the study group who received nasal CPAP after early surfactant therapy, only two infants showed weaning failure with this therapy. In the response cases, duration of CPAP was five days and mean airway pressure was 5.4+/-0.5 cm H2O. Two had the complication of CPAP with abdominal distension. Final complications and outcomes in the two groups showed no signifcant difference(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The clinical courses in the two groups showed no significant difference. Therefore, we suggest that early surfactant therapy with noninvasive nasal CPAP is a simple and safe method rather than aggressive weaning after invasive mechanical ventilation in moderate respiratory distress syndrome.

A Study on the Effect of the Combined Use of Gentle Ventilation and High-requency ntilation on the Incidence of Chronic Lung Disease

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the correlation between the incidence of chronic lung disease and the combined use of gentle ventilation and high-frequency ventilation. METHODS: The subject group consisted of 63 very low birthweight infants of less than 1500gm who were born and survived through ventilator treatment in the Fatima neonatal intensive care unit for four years from January 1995 to December 1998. The analysis was performed retrospectively with medical records. Ventilator treatment was based on the combined use of gentle ventilation and high-frequency ventilation by means of the flow interruptor type of Infant star. High- frequency ventilation was carried out for 24 hours after surfactant replacement, when PaCO2 exceeded 60mmHg, or if the period of gentle ventilation exceeded one week. When the results of arterial blood gas analysis and the state of the body became stable, the aggressive weaning was performed. RESULTS: For 49(77.8%) of 63 infants, the weaning was possible within seven days. The other 14 infants(22.2%) needed ventilator treatment for more than seven days. The mean duration of ventilator treatment was 12.3 days. The causes of weaning failure included sepsis, patent ductus arteriosus, chronic lung disease, and intraventricular hemorrhage. Two infants who had received ventialtor treatment for more than two weeks were found to have incidence of chronic lung disease. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the combined use of gentle ventilation and high-frequency ventilation can help reduce pulmonary damage, and it will be important to shorten the period of ventilator treatment.

Clinical Effect and Complication of High Frequency Ventilation on Respiratory Failure

PURPOSE: Flow interruptor high frequency ventilator(HFV) on neonatal respiratory failure caused by various disorders has been applied in order to assess its therapeutic effect and safety. METHODS: Premature babies below 1.8kg with respiratory failure from 1991 to 1997 in the Fatima neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) for 6 year and 4 months are included. Flow interruptor HFV with low intermittent mandatory ventilation(IMV) has been applied in 74 cases. If clinical symptom and arterial blood gas analysis(ABGA) became stable for 6-12 hrs, we started weaning aggressively. RESULTS: Mean duration of HFV with low IMV was 5.4 4 days. Initial success rate of weaning was 63 cases(85.1%). Weaning failure rate was 11 cases(14.9%). Six cases was due to underlying sepsis. Four cases was caused by pneumothorax and one case resulted from patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) with congestive heart failure(CHF). Complication of HFV with combined low IMV was 5 cases of pneumothorax, 4 cases of grade III intraventricular hemorrhage and one case of bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD). Eleven cases of stage III or more retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) and 5 cases of periventricular leukomalasia(PVL) were confirmed. CONCLUSION: Flow interruptor HFV with low IMV can be used safely as conventional mechanical ventilators in the case of respiratory failure caused by various disorders. If MAP has been adjusted appropriately, incidence of pneumothorax and BPD are expected to diminish by aggressive weaning as clinical symptom become stable.

Effects of High Frequency Ventilation after Surfactant Replacement Therapy Compared with Conventional Ventilation in the Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome

PURPOSE: We performed a retrospective study to compare effects of Surfacten(R) with HFV administration and meticulous conventional ventilatory support for neonatal RDS by analyzing clinical effects, complication and mortality between two groups. METHODS: Of 107 cases admitted to the nursery in Taegu Fatima hospital from February 1990 to June 1996, 52 neonates (admitted from January 1993 till June 1996) with RDS on high frequency ventilation after Surfacten(R) replacement were included as study group while 57 neonates(admitted from January 1990 till December 1996) with RDS on only conventional ventilation as control group. Serial change of FiO2, MAP, PaO2 and PaCO2 within 48hours after Surfacten(R) replacement, chest X-ray, clinical course, complication and mortality rate were propectively analyzed between two groups. RESULT: 1) After 24 hours Surfacten(R) replacement FiO2 had gradually decreased to 40% in the treated group, while in the control group, decreased to 50% within 48 hours. 2) MAP was maintained at 5.2cmH2O in the treated group, while in the control group, at 6.9cmH2O. 3) Serial change of PaO2 during weaning period after Surfacten(R) replacement between two groups were not significantly different(in the treated group : 74.5mmHg, in the conrol group : 76.1mmHg). 4) Serial change of PaCO2 during weaning period after Surfacten(R) replacement in the treated group were maintained significantly below the level of PaCO2 in the control group(in the treated group : 42.3mmHg, in the control group : 46.6mmHg). 5) In the treated group, complications were a series of PDA, IVH and pneumothorax, while in the control group, of PDA, Sepsis and IVH, and there were no differences between two groups with respect to mortality. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the combined treatment with Surfacten(R) replacement and high frequency ventilation for neonatal RDS improved short term clinical effects than in the control group, but there were no significant difference in terms of complications and mortality rate between two groups