CHANGES IN OXYGENATION AND HEART-RATE AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF ARTIFICIAL SURFACTANT (ALEC) TO PRETERM INFANTS

To determine if changes in oxygenation and heart rate occur after surf actant, changes in these variables were recorded continuously for 15 m inutes before, during, and 15 minutes after the administration of the artificial surfactant ALEC to 21 preterm infants ventilated for respir atory distress syndrome. Median (range) birth weight and gestation wer e 1199 (561-2680) g and 28 (21-43) weeks, respectively. The mean (SD) time taken for administration was 17.6 (3.8) seconds. No clinically im portant changes resulted from the administration of ALEC in the mean ( SD) values for oxygen saturation (before 91.3 (3.4)%, during 90.7 (3.2 )%, after 90.4 (3.7)%) and heart rate (before 143 (15), during 138 (17 ), after 142 (16)). The maximum change in mean arterial oxygen saturat ion (Sao(2)) was a fall of 4.8%.