Surfactant administration and the cerebral circulation.
We have used two main techniques to investigate the effect of surfactant therapy on the cerebral circulation in 34 babies. Twenty-one babies were studied using near infrared spectroscopy and 13 had cerebral blood flow measured using a xenon clearance technique. Other measures recorded included amplitude integrated EEG, mean arterial blood pressure and central venous or oesophageal pressure. There was a marked depression in EEG activity lasting for 10-20 min after surfactant administration. Cerebral blood volume and cerebral blood flow were maintained in most infants in spite of a fall in mean arterial blood pressure. We conclude that factors other than cerebral ischaemia cause the transient disturbance in electrophysiologic activity.
Skov
L
L
Department of Neonatalogy, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Bell
A
A
Greisen
G
G
D001688:Biological Products; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002496:Central Venous Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D010743:Phospholipids; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared
D001688:Biological Products; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D010743:Phospholipids; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; C068291:poractant alfa; D010100:Oxygen