Surfactant therapy explained

Surfactant therapy
Synonym:Surfactant application, Surfactant replacement
Specialty:neonatology

Surfactant therapy is the medical administration of pulmonary surfactant that is derived from outside of the body. Pulmonary surfactant is a soap-like chemical synthesized by type II alveolar pneumocytes and is of various lipids (80% phospholipids, 5-10% cholesterol, and ∼10% surfactant-associated proteins). This biological fluid reduces surface tension and lines the aqueous layer covering the alveolar surface of the lung. For more details, see Pulmonary surfactant. [1] [2] [3]

Surfactant therapy, or surfactant replacement therapy, is used in situations where there is not sufficient fluid covering the lung. The most common use is in premature neonates or babies born with respiratory distress syndrome. Conditions adult respiratory distress syndrome or Hyaline Membrane Disease are also sometimes treated with exogenously derived surfactant. One of the more common uses of surfactant therapy is to treat alveolar surfactant deficiency in premature newborns. Most commonly, treatment is composed of multiple doses of 100 mg/kg of exogenous surfactant.

Types of Surfactants

Poractant alfa, Calfactant, and Beractant are types of natural surfactants commercially available in the United States. Although data is sometimes conflicting, it appears that there are no significant differences among the available preparations.

LISA surfactant delivery in infants

The LISA (Less Invasive Surfactant Administration) method is much more effective in situations where the preterm infant is already breathing, and it has become a standard procedure in German hospitals.[4] Intubation via mechanical ventilation is less effective than the LISA method within the first 72 hours of birth.[5]

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Exogenous surfactant replacement therapy is effective in reducing IRDS mortality and morbidity in preterm infants.[6] [7] [8] [9]

Adult respiratory distress syndrome

Surfactant therapy is not used to treat adults with adult respiratory distress syndrome because the evidence regarding its effect on patient-important outcomes is inconsistent.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Possmayer . Fred . Zuo . Yi Y. . Veldhuizen . Ruud A. W. . Petersen . Nils O. . 2023-12-13 . Pulmonary Surfactant: A Mighty Thin Film . Chemical Reviews . en . 123 . 23 . 13209–13290 . 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00146 . 0009-2665.
  2. Robertson . Bengt . Halliday . Henry L. . 1998-11-19 . Principles of surfactant replacement . Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease . 1408 . 2 . 346–361 . 10.1016/S0925-4439(98)00080-5 . 0925-4439.
  3. Dhar . Dipak Kumar . Majumder . Nilratan . Paul . Debasish . 2016 . Assessment of Knowledge and Practice of Mothers of Children under Five regarding Zinc Therapy in Childhood Diarrhea . International Journal of Advanced and Integrated Medical Sciences . 1 . 4 . 169–172 . 10.5005/jp-journals-10050-10055 . 2456-2726.
  4. Härtel . Christoph . Paul . Pia . Hanke . Kathrin . Humberg . Alexander . Kribs . Angela . Mehler . Katrin . Vochem . Matthias . Wieg . Christian . Roll . Claudia . Herting . Egbert . Göpel . Wolfgang . Less invasive surfactant administration and complications of preterm birth . Scientific Reports . 29 May 2018 . 8 . 1 . 8333 . 10.1038/s41598-018-26437-x . 29844331 . 5974027 . 2018NatSR...8.8333H .
  5. Lau . Christine S. M. . Chamberlain . Ronald S. . Sun . Shyan . Less Invasive Surfactant Administration Reduces the Need for Mechanical Ventilation in Preterm Infants . Global Pediatric Health . 24 March 2017 . 4 . 2333794X1769668 . 10.1177/2333794X17696683 . 28540346 . 5433666 .
  6. Suresh . Gautham K . Soll . Roger F . Overview of Surfactant Replacement Trials . Journal of Perinatology . 21 April 2005 . 25 . S2 . S40–S44 . 10.1038/sj.jp.7211320 . 15861172 . free .
  7. Fujiwara . Tetsuro . Chida . Shoichi . Watabe . Yoshitane . Maeta . Haruo . Morita . Tomoaki . Abe . Tadaaki . Artificial surfactant therapy in hyaline-membrane disease . The Lancet . January 1980 . 315 . 8159 . 55–59 . 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90489-4 . 6101413 . 19170032 .
  8. Liechty . Edward A. . Donovan . Edward . Purohit . Dilip . Gilhooly . Joseph . Feldman . Bernard . Noguchi . Akihiko . Denson . Susan E. . Sehgal . Sabitha S. . Gross . Ian . Stevens . Dennis . Ikegami . Machiko . Zachman . Richard D. . Carrier . Steven T. . Gunkel . J. Harry . Gold . Alan J. . Reduction of Neonatal Mortality after Multiple Doses of Bovine Surfactant in Low Birth Weight Neonates with Respiratory Distress Syndrome . Pediatrics . 1 July 1991 . 88 . 1 . 19–28 . 10.1542/peds.88.1.19 . 2057268 . 26067225 .
  9. Kendig . James W. . Notter . Robert H. . Cox . Christopher . Aschner . Judy L. . Benn . Steven . Bernstein . Richard M. . Hendricks-Munoz . Karen . Maniscalco . William M. . Metlay . Leon A. . Phelps . Dale L. . Sinkin . Robert A. . Wood . Beverly P. . Shapiro . Donald L. . Surfactant Replacement Therapy at Birth: Final Analysis of a Clinical Trial and Comparisons With Similar Trials . Pediatrics . 1 November 1988 . 82 . 5 . 756–762 . 3054783 .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Surfactant therapy".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.