Popis: |
Exogenous surfactant treatment of premature infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) has been the standard of care for more than two decades. There are now many studies comparing various surfactant preparations. Data are clear that the synthetic surfactants without surfactant proteins are inferior to animal derived surfactant preparations. In the United States, commercially available surfactants are beractant, calfactant, poractant alfa, and lucinactant. Relative efficacy of the various available animal derived surfactants in the United States appear to favor poractant alfa, the surfactant preparation with the highest concentrations of phospholipids and high concentration of surfactant proteins, allowing a higher initial dose of phospholipids in preterm infants less than 32 weeks. A new synthetic surfactant with a surfactant protein analog, lucinactant, has been recently been approved for use in the United States. Synthetic surfactants hold the possibility of surfactant treatments without potential animal-born infectious agents or animal proteins that could induce an immune response in fragile premature infants with multiple medical problems. New surfactant administration strategies are described, complimenting new respiratory support strategies, designed to minimize invasive mechanical ventilation and decrease the frequency of chronic lung disease. Minimally invasive surfactant administration strategies are being developed to accommodate these new respiratory support strategies. The goal of this manuscript is to review the available surfactant preparations and their administration strategies. |