RESUMO
Background: Respiratory distress is one among the leading reasons cause mortality for infants especially for preterm babies or light weight babies. Surfactant therapy in premature infants can decrease mortality, duration of respiratory treatment, pulmonary air leaks and chronic lung disease. Objective: This study aims to assess the effect of surfactant therapy in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome at Intensive Care Unit of Children Hospital N\xb0.2. Subjects and method:A cases study about premature infants less than 24 hours after birth with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) admitted to intensive care unit and treated with surfactant from January 2007 to July 2007 at the Children Hospital No 2. There were 30 cases recruited. The data was collected and analyzed by EpiInfo software 2002.Results: Most of them improved in respiration status after using surfactant (96.7%); no case of air leak was seen; 3 bronchopulmonary dysplasia cases and 4 deaths due to nosocomial infection were seen. Conclusion: Surfactant therapy was effective in premature infants with RDS. In the case of having economic advantages, surfactant may be indicated for preventive treatment on the premature and light weigh infants without respiratory distress syndrome on clinical aspect.