Mildred T. Stahlman: a centenarian who pioneered modern scientific neonatal intensive care.

Neonatology pioneer Mildred (Millie) T. Stahlman celebrated her 100th birthday on July 31, 2022. Her distinguished career at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, is reviewed to commemorate this milestone. Stahlman was arguably the first to establish a modern neonatal intensive care unit in 1961, successfully utilizing negative pressure ventilation and umbilical arterial and venous catheters to monitor blood gasses and pH levels. She received early invaluable training in newborn physiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, under John Lind and Petter Karlberg, and at Vanderbilt under Elliot V. Newman. Stahlman also consulted with luminaries Geoffrey Dawes, Donald Barron, and L. Stanley James. As director of the Vanderbilt NICU, she trained 80 fellows from more than 20 countries. The latter 20 years of her career were highlighted by collaborations with Jeff Whitsett. She was the recipient of the AAP Virginia Apgar Award, the APS John Howland Medal, and served as a member of the Institute of Medicine.

Clinicoetiological Pattern and Outcome of Neonates Requiring Mechanical Ventilation: Study in a Tertiary Care Centre.

The clinical and etiological pattern of ventilated newborns, their outcome in relation to morbidity and mortality was studied with 50 ventilated newborns, including outborns. M:f ratio was 2.1:1. The most common gestational age 28-36 weeks (60%) and mostly were appropriate for gestational age (66%). Survival rate 40% (20/50) being directly proportional to the gestational age and intrauterine growth pattern (P < 0.01). Babies by LSCS Lower Segment Cessarian Section survived more than born by normal vaginal delivery (46.7% vs. 37.1%). More outborn survival could be related to their advanced gestational age on presentation. The initial assessment of APGAR score of >7 had a better outcome (56.3%; P < 0.03). The most common indication of ventilation was hyaline membrane disease (19/50) but the survival rate best in babies with meconium aspiration syndrome (54.5%). The most prevalent complication was sepsis (survival rate 60%) while conditions such as shock, intraventricular hemorrhage, disseminated intravascular coagulation, air leak syndrome, and pulmonary hemorrhage had 100% mortality. Thus, the outcome as survival is constrained by many factors; newborn's profile, conditions at birth, and postnatal resuscitation.

Efficacy of minimally invasive surfactant therapy in moderate and late preterm infants: A multicentre randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) is a new strategy to avoid mechanical ventilation (MV) in respiratory distress syndrome. The primary aim of this study was to test MIST as a means of avoiding MV exposure and pneumothorax occurrence in moderate and late preterm infants (32 to 36 weeks' gestational age). METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial including three Canadian centres. Patients were randomized to standard management or to the intervention if they required nasal continuous positive airway pressure of 6 cm H2O and 35% FiO2 in the first 24 hours of life. Patients from the intervention group received MIST immediately after inclusion. The primary outcome was either need for MV or development of a pneumothorax requiring a chest tube. To ensure that clinicians were not biased toward delaying intubation in the intervention group, clinical failure criteria were also used as a primary outcome. The primary outcome was analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: Among 45 randomized patients, 24 were assigned to MIST and 21 to standard management. Eight infants (33%) from the intervention group met the primary outcome criteria versus 19 (90%) in the control group (absolute risk reduction 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.60). One patient in each group reached the primary outcome because of pneumothorax occurrence. The other patients were exposed to MV. None of the patients reached the clinical failure criteria. CONCLUSION: MIST for respiratory distress syndrome management in moderate and late preterm infants was associated with a significant reduction of MV exposure and pneumothorax occurrence.

Heterogeneity of respiratory distress syndrome: risk factors and morbidity associated with early and late gestation disease.

BACKGROUND: Although respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is considered a disease of prematurity, there is evidence to suggest heterogeneity between early and late gestation RDS. We examined the epidemiologic features of RDS occurring at early and late gestation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including live births in the United States in 2005-06, with information obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics. Early (<32 weeks) and late gestation RDS (≥39 weeks) were contrasted in terms of risk factors and associations with pregnancy complications, obstetric intervention and co-morbidity. Logistic regression was used to quantify the effects of risk factors, while other associations were quantified descriptively. RESULTS: There were 27,971 RDS cases, yielding an incidence of 6.4 per 1000 live births. Early and late gestation RDS differed in terms of risk factors, with factors such as multi-fetal gestation more strongly associated with early (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 11.6, 95 % confidence interval 11.0-12.2) compared with late gestation RDS (aOR 3.66, 95 % confidence interval 2.68-4.98). The morbidity correlates of early and late gestation RDS also differed substantially; neonatal seizures were less strongly associated with early (OR 5.90, 95 % confidence interval 3.67-9.47) compared with late gestation RDS (OR 33.1, 95 % confidence interval 27.2-40.2), while meconium aspiration syndrome was not significantly associated with early gestation RDS (OR 1.87, 95 % confidence interval 0.94-3.72) and very strongly associated with late gestation RDS (OR 39.8, 95 % confidence interval 34.7-45.6). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in risk factors and morbidity correlates of early and late gestation RDS suggest that these entities represent two distinct diseases.

Historical perspective on surfactant therapy: Transforming hyaline membrane disease to respiratory distress syndrome.

Lung surfactant is the first drug so far designed for the special needs of the newborn. In 1929, Von Neergard described lung hysteresis and proposed the role of surface forces. In 1955-1956, Pattle and Clements found direct evidence of lung surfactant. In 1959, Avery discovered that the airway's lining material was not surface-active in hyaline membrane disease (HMD). Patrick Bouvier Kennedy's death, among half-million other HMD-victims in 1963, stimulated surfactant research. The first large surfactant treatment trial failed in 1967, but by 1973, prediction of respiratory distress syndrome using surfactant biomarkers and promising data on experimental surfactant treatment were reported. After experimental studies on surfactant treatment provided insight in lung surfactant biology and pharmacodynamics, the first trials of surfactant treatment conducted in the 1980s showed a striking amelioration of severe HMD and its related deaths. In the 1990s, the first synthetic and natural surfactants were accepted for treatment of infants. Meta-analyses and further discoveries confirmed and extended these results. Surfactant development continues as a success-story of neonatal research.

Use of budesonide associated with a pulmonary surfactant to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature newborns - A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Among the mechanisms proposed for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia is the increase in the pulmonary inflammatory process and oxidative stress. Thus, the control of this process may result in improvements in bronchopulmonary dysplasia-related outcomes. This study aims to analyze the current scientific evidence regarding the use of budesonide, a potent anti-inflammatory drug, associated with a pulmonary surfactant to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed on the Embase and MEDLINE platforms, and studies that compared budesonide with pulmonary surfactant versus pulmonary surfactant for treating respiratory distress syndrome were included. The primary outcome was a reduction in bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death. RESULTS: Four randomized clinical trials and two observational studies were included in this systematic review. Three of the randomized clinical trials found a reduction in bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death in the use of budesonide with the surfactant, all the other studies (1 clinical trial and 2 observational studies) found no statistical differences between the groups for the primary outcomes. The three main studies showed a reduction in the primary outcome; however, all studies showed great heterogeneity regarding the type of surfactant (poractant or beractant) and the method of administration. CONCLUSION: Robust clinical studies, in a heterogeneous population, using porcine surfactant associated with budesonide, with administration by a minimally invasive technique are necessary for there to be a recommendation based on scientific evidence for its widespread use.

Natural Versus Synthetic Surfactant Therapy in Respiratory Distress Syndrome of Prematurity.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical efficacy and the cost of treatment between the newborns who received either a natural or a protein-free synthetic surfactant for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of prematurity. METHODS: This is a retrospective analytical study incorporating comparisons of clinical parameters and cost in newborns having RDS of prematurity who received either Survanta (bovine lung extract), a natural surfactant or Surfact (protein-free colfosceril palmitate), a synthetic surfactant. RESULTS: There were 100 newborns who received either of the natural (n = 52) or synthetic (n = 48) surfactant with mean (SD) gestational age and mean (SD) birth weight of 31.5 (2.6) wk, 1425 (461) g and 32.2 (2.2) wk, 1519 (413) g, respectively. Majority of the newborns (> 90%) received endotracheal surfactant within the first 24 h of life and had similar baseline characteristics in either group. No differences were noted in ventilator settings on admission and 24 h after surfactant/admission. Oxygen requirement, extubation age, complications, hospital stay, and mortality were similar across groups, except that the necrotizing enterocolitis was noted only in natural surfactant group. There was a significant pharmacy cost savings in synthetic surfactant group. CONCLUSION: Synthetic surfactant was comparable to natural surfactant with regard to outcomes, like ventilator settings, hospital stay, and mortality. Pharmacy cost was less in synthetic surfactant group.

Implementation of less-invasive surfactant administration in a Canadian neonatal intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Less-invasive surfactant administration (LISA) is a recent technique used extensively in Europe but rarely used in North America. The aim of this study was to describe our experience following LISA implementation using poractant in a Canadian neonatal intensive care (NICU). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted from June 2017 to April 2021 of LISA procedures in preterm infants. Data were collected on patient characteristics, outcomes following LISA, laryngoscopy, and adverse events. The primary outcome was the rate of successful LISA procedures. SETTING: Level IIIa academic NICU. RESULTS: LISA was successful in 93 of 101 infants (92%). Median gestational age was 30.9 weeks (interquartile range [IQR]: 29.4-33.0). All infants received atropine and fentanyl premedication. Eight LISA procedures were unsuccessful: five because of thoracic rigidity and three because of inability to expose the vocal cords. In the 93 successful procedures, a second dose of surfactant was needed for 15 of 93 infants (16.1%), either by repeated LISA (7/15; 7.5%) or by endotracheal intubation (8/15; 8.6%). In 63.4% of successful procedures, one laryngoscopy attempt was made. The median duration of laryngoscopy attempts was 60 s (IQR: 52-110). Two types of catheters were used: the multi-access catheter (MAC) or the Angiocath in 67% and 33% of procedures, respectively. One infant had bradycardia and 30.6% had profound desaturation of <75%. CONCLUSION: LISA with poractant alfa was implemented in a Canadian NICU with a high degree of procedural success. Fentanyl may lead to more adverse events with a risk of interrupting LISA and may not be the ideal agent for this procedure. These results may encourage wider dissemination of LISA in North America.

Incidence, Predictors and Outcomes of Noninvasive Ventilation Failure in Very Preterm Infants.

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is now considered the first-line treatment for respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants. We aimed to evaluate the rates of non-invasive ventilation failure rate in very preterm infants, as well as to identify its predictors and associated outcomes. We designed a single-center retrospective cohort study including infants ≤32 weeks gestational age and ≤1500 g. The NIV failure was defined as the need for intubation at <72 h of life. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 154 patients were included in the study, with a mean GA of 29.7 ± two weeks. The NIV failure rate was 16.2% (n = 25) and it was associated with lower bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)-free survival (OR 0.08; 95% CI 0.02−0.32) and higher incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage > II (OR 6.22; 95% CI 1.36−28.3). These infants were significantly smaller in GA and weight. Higher FiO2 during resuscitation (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.06−1.22) and after surfactant administration (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.05−1.31) represented independent risk factors for NIV failure. In conclusion, NIV failure is frequent and it could be predicted by a higher oxygen requirement during resuscitation and a modest response to surfactant therapy. Importantly, this NIV failure is associated with worse clinical outcomes.

Using lactate dehydrogenase to predict the severity of respiratory distress in term newborn infants with no perinatal asphyxia.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to establish whether knowledge of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels on day 1, as well as the change in these levels in the first three days, could be of clinical benefit in the diagnosis and/or prediction of severity of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 275 term infants (35 with RDS and 240 with TTN) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from January 2014 to June 2019. LDH levels were measured on admission and after three days. RESULTS: Both RDS and TTN groups had elevated LDH levels during admission. LDH levels were significantly higher in the RDS group than in the TTN group on both days. LDH levels in both groups significantly correlated with both the duration of respiratory support required, as well as the number of hospital days. We used these outcomes as a measure of severity of these conditions. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with respiratory distress, it may not be clinically useful to use LDH levels on day 1 to differentiate between RDS and TTN, despite the statistically significant differences, because of the overlapping values. However, LDH levels on day 1 and day 3 may predict the degree and duration of the required respiratory support for both RDS and TTN groups.

Rapid diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome by oral aspirate in premature newborns.

OBJECTIVE: The stable microbubble test on gastric aspirate and on amniotic fluid has been used for the diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome in the newborn. However, no study has performed this test on oral aspirates from premature infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the stable microbubble test on oral aspirates from preterm newborns to predict respiratory distress syndrome. METHOD: This study included infants with gestational age <34 weeks. Oral fluids were obtained immediately after birth and gastric fluids were collected within the first 30 minutes of life. The samples were frozen and tested within 72 hours. RESULTS: The sample was composed of paired aspirates from 64 newborns, who were divided into two groups: respiratory distress syndrome group (n=21) and control group (n=43). The median (interquartile range) of the stable microbubble count in the oral samples of infants with respiratory distress syndrome was significantly lower than that of infants who did not develop respiratory symptoms: respiratory distress syndrome group=12 (8-22) stable microbubbles/mm2; control group=100 (48-230)microbubbles/mm2 (p<0.001). The correlation between microbubble count in gastric and oral aspirates was 0.90 (95% confidence interval=0.85-0.95; p<0.001). Considering a cut-off point of 25microbubbles/mm2, the sensitivity and the specificity of the stable microbubble test were 81.4% and 85.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that the stable microbubble test performed on oral aspirate is a reliable alternative to that performed on gastric fluid for the prediction of respiratory distress syndrome in the newborn.

European Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Respiratory Distress Syndrome - 2019 Update.

As management of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) advances, clinicians must continually revise their current practice. We report the fourth update of "European Guidelines for the Management of RDS" by a European panel of experienced neonatologists and an expert perinatal obstetrician based on available literature up to the end of 2018. Optimising outcome for babies with RDS includes prediction of risk of preterm delivery, need for appropriate maternal transfer to a perinatal centre and timely use of antenatal steroids. Delivery room management has become more evidence-based, and protocols for lung protection including initiation of CPAP and titration of oxygen should be implemented immediately after birth. Surfactant replacement therapy is a crucial part of management of RDS, and newer protocols for its use recommend early administration and avoidance of mechanical ventilation. Methods of maintaining babies on non-invasive respiratory support have been further developed and may cause less distress and reduce chronic lung disease. As technology for delivering mechanical ventilation improves, the risk of causing lung injury should decrease, although minimising time spent on mechanical ventilation using caffeine and, if necessary, postnatal steroids are also important considerations. Protocols for optimising general care of infants with RDS are also essential with good temperature control, careful fluid and nutritional management, maintenance of perfusion and judicious use of antibiotics all being important determinants of best outcome.

A study of spectrum of pulmonary pathology and expression of thyroid transcription factor-1 during neonatal period.

CONTEXT: Neonatal period is the single most hazardous period of life. The major causes of neonatal death are prematurity and respiratory distress syndrome. We report a series of neonatal autopsies in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with special emphasis on pulmonary pathology. The spectrum of pathological changes in the lungs and thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) expression was studied in detail with reference to its spatial distribution. AIMS: This study aims to analyze the causes of neonatal death with special attention to pulmonary pathology along with associated histopathological changes in lungs. We also evaluated the expression of TTF-1 at different levels of the airway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After taking consent and anthropometric measurements, autopsy was performed. Weights of all organs were taken, and histological sections were examined under hematoxylin and eosin stain. TTF-1 immunostaining was done on lung sections. Localization of TTF-1 was evaluated at the intrapulmonary level of terminal bronchioles (TBs), distal bronchioles, and alveoli. RESULTS: We performed a series of 25 autopsies in neonates. In our series, most of the neonates were preterm (64%), had low birth weight (44%), and died within the first 7 days of life (80%). Majority (60%) of the neonates died due to pulmonary causes, followed by septicemia (24%), congenital anomalies (12%), and birth injury (4%). Among the respiratory causes, hyaline membrane disease (HMD) was diagnosed in maximum number of cases (32%), followed by pneumonia (12%) and pulmonary hemorrhage (12%). The TTF-1 expression in TBs, distal airways, and alveoli was significantly reduced or absent in cases of HMD compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that HMD is the most common cause of perinatal death among respiratory disorders, and in this disease, the expression of TTF-1 is significantly reduced in TBs, distal airways, and alveoli compared to the control group.

Use of budesonide associated with a pulmonary surfactant to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature newborns - A systematic review

Abstract Objective: Among the mechanisms proposed for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia is the increase in the pulmonary inflammatory process and oxidative stress. Thus, the control of this process may result in improvements in bronchopulmonary dysplasia-related outcomes. This study aims to analyze the current scientific evidence regarding the use of budesonide, a potent anti-inflammatory drug, associated with a pulmonary surfactant to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed on the Embase and MEDLINE platforms, and studies that compared budesonide with pulmonary surfactant versus pulmonary surfactant for treating respiratory distress syndrome were included. The primary outcome was a reduction in bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death. Results: Four randomized clinical trials and two observational studies were included in this systematic review. Three of the randomized clinical trials found a reduction in bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death in the use of budesonide with the surfactant, all the other studies (1 clinical trial and 2 observational studies) found no statistical differences between the groups for the primary outcomes. The three main studies showed a reduction in the primary outcome; however, all studies showed great heterogeneity regarding the type of surfactant (poractant or beractant) and the method of administration. Conclusion: Robust clinical studies, in a heterogeneous population, using porcine surfactant associated with budesonide, with administration by a minimally invasive technique are necessary for there to be a recommendation based on scientific evidence for its widespread use.

Fisiología respiratoria: fisiología del surfactante pulmonar / Physiology of pulmonary surfactant

El proceso de respiración y el intercambio gaseoso requiere la interacción de variadas fuerzas en los distintos tejidos y órganos involucrados. La tensión superficial a nivel alveolar provocaría colapso de dichas estructuras de no ser por las características del surfactante que lo recubre. Revisaremos en este articulo la fisiología involucrada en su estructura física, producción y efectos pulmonares.

The process of breathing and gas exchange requires the interaction of various forces in the different tissues and organs involved. The surface tension at the alveolus would cause collapse of these structures without of the surfactant that covers it. We will review in this article the physiology involved in its physical structure, production, and pulmonary effects.

Surfactant and continuous positive airway pressure for the prevention of chronic lung disease: History, reality, and new challenges.

The discovery of surfactant was one of the most significant research events to occur in the history of neonatology. Certainly, surfactant saved lives for premature infants who were otherwise considered non-viable. However, the prevention of chronic lung disease did not progress and it became clear that a significant portion of the help surfactant provides to the premature lung is counteracted by mechanical ventilation. A dilemma exists over the priorities in premature management to intubate and administer surfactant or not to intubate and support these infants non-invasively with the use of continuous positive airway pressure. A new hydrophilic surfactant preparation has been developed with the hope to enable the introduction of surfactant therapy without the need for tracheal intubation. Clinical trials on this product are currently in progress. This article provides the history and prospect of respiratory distress management in premature infants and evaluates the current evidence for non-invasive practices.

Expectant Versus Interventionist Care in the Management of Severe Preeclampsia Remote from Term: A Systematic Review / Cuidado expectante versus cuidado intervencionista no tratamento da pré-eclâmpsia grave a distância: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract Objective To compare the effects of expectant versus interventionist care in the management of pregnant women with severe preeclampsia remote from term. Data sources An electronic search was conducted in the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS, for its Spanish acronym), World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO-ICTRP), and Open- Grey databases. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO, for its French acronym), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Colombian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (CJOG) websites were searched for conference proceedings, without language restrictions, up to March 25, 2020. Selection of studies Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), and non-randomized controlled studies (NRSs) were included. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence. Data collection Studies were independently assessed for inclusion criteria, data extraction, and risk of bias. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Data synthesis Four RCTs and six NRS were included. Low-quality evidence from the RCTs showed that expectant care may result in a lower incidence of appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration (Apgar) scores<7 at 5 minutes (risk ratio [RR]: 0.48; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.23%to 0.99) and a higher average birth weight (mean difference [MD]: 254.7 g; 95%CI: 98.5 g to 410.9 g). Very low quality evidence from the NRSs suggested that expectant care might decrease the rates of neonatal death (RR: 0.42; 95%CI 0.22 to 0.80), hyalinemembrane disease (RR: 0.59; 95%CI: 0.40 to 0.87), and admission to neonatal care (RR: 0.73; 95%CI: 0.54 to 0.99). Nomaternal or fetal differences were found for other perinatal outcomes. Conclusion Compared with interventionist management, expectant care may improve neonatal outcomes without increasing maternal morbidity and mortality.

Resumo Objetivo Comparar os efeitos dos cuidados expectantes versus intervencionistas no manejo de gestantes com pré-eclâmpsia grave distante do termo. Fontes de dados Foi realizada uma busca eletrônica no Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS, para o espanhol) acrônimo), Plataforma Internacional de Registro de Ensaios Clínicos da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS-ICTRP) e bancos de dados OpenGrey. Foram pesquisados os sites da Federação Internacional de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (FIGO, por sua sigla em francês), do Royal College of Obstetricians e Ginecologistas (RCOG), do American College of Obstetricians e Ginecologistas (ACOG) e do Colombian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (CJOG) procedimentos da conferência, sem restrições de idioma, até 25 de março de 2020. Seleção de estudos Ensaios clínicos randomizados (RCTs) e estudos controlados não randomizados (NRSs) foram incluídos. A abordagem de Classificação de Recomendações, Avaliação, Desenvolvimento e Avaliação (GRADE) foi usada para avaliar a qualidade da evidência. Coleta de dados Os estudos foram avaliados de forma independente quanto aos critérios de inclusão, extração de dados e risco de viés. As discordâncias foram resolvidas por consenso. Síntese de dados Quatro RCTs e seis NRS foram incluídos. Evidências de baixa qualidade dos ECRs mostraram que o cuidado expectante pode resultar em uma incidência menor de pontuações de aparência, pulso, careta, atividade e respiração (Apgar) <7 em 5 minutos (razão de risco [RR]: 0,48; intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC 95%]: 0,23% a 0,99) e um peso médio ao nascer superior (diferença média [MD]: 254,7 g; IC 95%: 98,5 ga 410,9 g). Evidências de qualidade muito baixa dos NRSs sugeriram que os cuidados expectantes podem diminuir as taxas de morte neonatal (RR: 0,42; IC de 95% 0,22 a 0,80), doença da membrana hialina (RR: 0,59; IC de 95%: 0,40 a 0,87) e admissão à assistência neonatal (RR: 0,73; IC 95%: 0,54 a 0,99). Nenhuma diferença materna ou fetal foi encontrada para outros resultados perinatais. Conclusão Em comparação com o manejo intervencionista, o cuidado expectante pode melhorar os resultados neonatais sem aumentar a morbidade e mortalidade materna.

Uso convencional de surfactante en recién nacidos con enfermedad de membrana hialina / Conventional use of surfactant in newborns with hyaline membrane disease

La enfermedad de membrana hialina se debe a la deficiencia de surfactante en los pulmones de los recién nacidos especialmente los menores de 37 semanas de gestación. El manejo materno con corticoides prenatales en este grupo, disminuye la morbimortalidad asociada a esta patología neonatal. Se analiza desde el punto de la evidencia actualmente existente la administración de surfactante a estos prematuros y se revisa el tipo de surfactante a administrar, cuando es el mejor momento para administrarlo, la dosis y la forma de administrarlo.

Hyaline membrane disease is due to surfactant deficiency in the lungs of newborns, especially those younger than 37 weeks gestation. Maternal management with prenatal corticosteroids in this group reduces the morbidity and mortality associated with this neonatal pathology. The administration of surfactant to these preterm infants is analyzed from the point of the currently existing evidence and the type of surfactant to be administered is reviewed, when is the best time to administer it, the dose and the form of administration.

Hallazgos de autopsias en la infección por COVID-19 / Autopsy findings in COVID-19 Infection

RESUMEN Fundamento: la neumonía por COVID-19 es una enfermedad recién conocida que se ha extendido de manera rápida por todo el mundo. Los fundamentos patogénicos y los cambios histopatológicos que provoca el COVID-19 no se comprenden en su totalidad, lo cual atenta contra la identificación clínica adecuada de los pacientes y la implementación de estrategias terapéuticos eficaces. Objetivo: describir los hallazgos histopatológicos hallados en autopsia de casos confirmados de COVID-19. Métodos: la evidencia se recopiló mediante una búsqueda en PubMed de publicaciones en idioma inglés, utilizando las palabras claves: coronavirus, COVID-19, autopsy y síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda en varias combinaciones en el año 2020. Solo se hallaron cinco artículos con información sobre los resultados de las autopsias de casos confirmados con COVID-19. Resultados: desde el inicio de la pandemia en diciembre de 2019 se han publicado siete informes de autopsias de casos confirmados con COVID-19, recogidos en cuatro artículos. Todas las autopsias han coincidido en el principal hallazgo: daño alveolar difuso con formación de membrana hialina, lo cual se correlaciona con las manifestaciones clínicas del síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda. Conclusiones: el COVID-19 produce principalmente daño alveolar, el cual consiste en edema pulmonar con formación de membrana hialina que se expresa clínicamente como un síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda.

ABSTRACT Background: COVID-19 pneumonia is a recently recognized disease that has spread rapidly throughout the world. The pathogenic foundations and histopathological changes caused by COVID-19 are not fully understood, which undermines the proper clinical identification of patients and the implementation of effective therapeutic strategies. Objective: to describe the histopathological findings found at autopsy of confirmed cases of COVID-19. Methods: evidence was collected by searching PubMed for English language publications, using the keywords: coronavirus, COVID-19, autopsy and acute respiratory distress syndrome in various combinations in 2020. Only five articles were found with information on the autopsy results of confirmed cases with COVID-19. Results: since the start of the pandemic in December 2019, seven autopsy reports of confirmed cases with COVID-19 have been published, collected in 4 articles. All autopsies have agreed on the main finding: diffuse alveolar damage with hyaline membrane formation, which correlates with the clinical manifestations of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Conclusions: COVID-19 mainly produces alveolar damage, which consists of pulmonary edema with hyaline membrane formation, which is clinically expressed as an acute respiratory distress syndrome.