Which condition is most commonly treated with surfactant therapy?

Which condition is most commonly treated with surfactant therapy?

• A. IRDS
• B. Transient Tachypnea Of The Newborn
• C. PPHN
• D. Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

Answer: (A)

Surfactant therapy is aimed at replacing or supplementing endogenous surfactant when the lungs can’t keep themselves open. The classic scenario is respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants, where surfactant production is immature and alveoli tend to collapse with each breath. Giving surfactant lowers surface tension, reopens collapsed airways, improves lung compliance, and enhances oxygenation, which is why this treatment is most commonly used for there. Transient Tachypnea of the newborn results from delayed clearance of fetal lung fluid and is usually managed with supportive care and sometimes noninvasive ventilation; surfactant isn’t the primary treatment. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the newborn is a vascular issue of high pulmonary resistance and is treated with strategies like ventilation optimization and inhaled nitric oxide, though surfactant may be used if there’s accompanying RDS. Meconium aspiration can involve surfactant dysfunction, but it’s less common as an indication than primary RDS treatment.

Surfactant therapy is aimed at replacing or supplementing endogenous surfactant when the lungs can’t keep themselves open. The classic scenario is respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants, where surfactant production is immature and alveoli tend to collapse with each breath. Giving surfactant lowers surface tension, reopens collapsed airways, improves lung compliance, and enhances oxygenation, which is why this treatment is most commonly used for there.

Transient Tachypnea of the newborn results from delayed clearance of fetal lung fluid and is usually managed with supportive care and sometimes noninvasive ventilation; surfactant isn’t the primary treatment. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the newborn is a vascular issue of high pulmonary resistance and is treated with strategies like ventilation optimization and inhaled nitric oxide, though surfactant may be used if there’s accompanying RDS. Meconium aspiration can involve surfactant dysfunction, but it’s less common as an indication than primary RDS treatment.