The role of phosphatidyl-glycerol in the determination of fetal lung maturity.
Phosphatidyl-glycerol (PG) and the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio were determined on amniotic fluid from 140 patients to evaluate the role of PG estimation as a functional fetal lung maturity test. PG was absent without associated respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in 17 cases (12%) and present in 123, 3 of the infants born to these patients developed slight hyaline membrane disease. There were no neonatal deaths. When both PG and the L/S ratio were determined the accuracy of prediction of the RDS improved from 87% to 93%. PG determination should not be used as a substitute for the L/S ratio, but should be used in conjunction with it in high-risk situations.
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis
D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols; D013109:Sphingomyelins