ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) is a promising mode of administration that offers the potential to limit barotrauma and prevent lung injury in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the effects of the implementation of MIST on safety and efficacy in infants who met criteria for surfactant administration and were treated by MIST as compared with a historical control group treated with surfactant via an endotracheal tube during mechanical ventilation. METHODS: This retrospective study included infants born between 2012 and 2017 who met the following inclusion criteria: gestational age 23-36 + 6 weeks, a diagnosis of RDS requiring at least 30% oxygen with or without nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). MIST was introduced in 2014 and a comparison was made between the study group who received MIST and the control group who met similar criteria and received surfactant via an endotracheal tube during mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the groups in baseline and demographic data. Severity of initial disease, assessed by the CRIB II score, was similar in the two groups (control 4.6 ± 2.8, MIST 4.4 ± 2.4, p=.995). The requirement for oxygen during the first 3 d of life was significantly lower (area under the curve [AUC]: p=.001) in the MIST group as assessed by the AUC. Likewise, the mean days of oxygen requirement were significantly lower in the MIST group (Control: 10.3 d, MIST: 5.9 d, p=.04). Only six infants in the MIST group (13%) subsequently required intubation for mechanical ventilation, only one of whom adjacent to the procedure. A modest reduction in duration of ventilation was also noted. Duration of admission was 32 ± 23 d in the control group and 26 ± 21 d in the MIST group, p=.061. No significant differences were found between the groups in the incidence of major morbidities or mortality. No major adverse events related to the procedure were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Transition to MIST was associated with significantly reduced need for oxygen, mechanical ventilation and surfactant, and a borderline shortened NICU admission.
