SURFACTANT REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN NEONATES LESS-THAN 32 WEEKS GESTATION - EFFECT ON NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE RESOURCE UTILIZATION

The effect of synthetic surfactant (Exosurf) replacement on complicati ons from hyaline membrane disease (HMD) in infants <32 weeks gestation and their resource utilization within a neonatal intensive care unit was studied in 1991-92. A control group was selected from infants admi tted to the same unit during the preceding 3 years when Exosurf was no t available. The infants were controlled for gestation, weight and sev erity of HMD. Infants given Exosurf had a significant reduction in the incidence of pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE), and a marginal d ecrease in the incidence of pneumothorax. They required fewer days on the ventilator and consumed less of the scarce financial resources. Th ere was no difference in the mortality rate among the two groups. The changes seen were more evident among those infants between 30 and 31 w eeks gestation, compared to those <28 weeks.