Surfactant treatment in a pediatric burn patient with respiratory failure.
This report describes surfactant treatment in a burned infant with severe respiratory failure. In this patient the instillation of surfactant rapidly improved compliance, oxygen index (OI), and alveolar-capillary oxygen gradient (AaDO2), while the need for oxygen supplementation and peak positive pressure drastically decreased. The treatment was repeated after 12 hours. Although the baby had severe clinical course complications as a Gram-negative sepsis and a subglottic stenosis, she was weaned from oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation in few weeks. Surfactant dysfunctions seem to play a central role in the respiratory insufficiency of burned patients, and its exogenous replacements could improve their outcome.
Tortorolo
L
L
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Institute of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Rome, Italy.
Chiaretti
A
A
Piastra
M
M
Viola
L
L
Polidori
G
G
D002059:Burns, Inhalation / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants