Respiratory distress syndrome (infants)
Alternative names:
hyaline membrane disease; RDS
Treatment:
The treatment is prompt resuscitation of all high-risk and premature infants by a pediatric resuscitation team. High oxygen and humidity concentrations are given initially. Those infants with mild symptoms of the disease will be given supplemental oxygen. Those with severe symptoms will be managed on a ventilator to deliver both oxygen and pressure to keep the lungs inflated. Oxygen and pressure will be decreased as soon as possible to prevent side effects associated with oxygen toxicity and high pressures.
Artificial surfactant is sometimes instilled into the trachea of an infant at high risk for respiratory distress syndrome immediately after birth (see lung surfactant). This treatment has been associated with preventing or improving the course of respiratory distress syndrome. Enough information now has been gathered regarding surfactants to show that they reduce mortality from RDS.
Expectations (prognosis):
The condition may persist or worsen for two to four days after birth with improvement thereafter. Some infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome will die. Sometimes long-term complications will develop as a result of oxygen toxicity, high pressures delivered to the lungs, or the severity of the disease.
Complications:
- cardiac arrest while being intubated
- pneumothorax
- pneumomediastinum
- pneumopericardium
- bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- hemorrhage into the brain (intraventricular bleed)
- hemorrhage into the lung (sometimes associated with surfactant use)
- thrombotic events associated with an umbilical arterial catheter
- retrolental fibroplasia and blindness
- delayed mental development and mental retardation associated with anoxic brain damage or hemorrhage
Calling your health care provider:
This disorder usually develops shortly after birth while the baby is still in the hospital.
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