[X-ray findings and clinical analysis for newborn infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To discuss X-ray findings and clinical analysis of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), and to compare the use of pulmonary surfactant and mechanical ventilation. METHODS: The X-ray findings, clinical characteristics, and therapy analysis of 32 babies with NRDS were studied retrospectively from Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2006. The correlation between X-ray findings and clinical characteristics was analyzed. The advantages of surfactant replacement therapy, compared with mechanical ventilation alone were discussed. RESULTS: According to X-ray findings all babies were divided into Stage I (n=7), Stage II (n=11), Stage III (n=8), Stage IV (n=3), and normal (n=3). Of them, 18 were very low-birth-weight neonates, and 11 were very low-birth-weight neonates. Twenty received surfactant replacement therapy, after the diagnosis of NRDS had been established clinically and radiographically. NRDS had classic chest radiographic findings. There was statistically significant difference between the fetal age or birth weight and the first time X-findings (P<0.05), and difference existed between the use of surfactant and nCPAP alone (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The younger the fetal age and the lower the birth weight, the more likely that the first X-ray findings would be below Stage II. Early surfactant replacement therapy with extubation to nCPAP for infants with NRDS was not only safe and beneficial, but also it significantly reduced both the need for mechanical ventilation and the briefer requirement for respiratory supports.