title: Small versus large volume dilute surfactant lavage for meconium aspiration syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surfactant lavage has been used to treat neonatal meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of lavage with a small volume of dilute surfactant in neonates with MAS, and compare the results with those of historical controls treated with larger volumes.
  
  
  METHODS
  From August 2002 to June 2005, we treated 11 newborns with MAS using 20 ml of dilute surfactant at a phospholipid concentration of 10 mg/ml (SVL group). We compared the results with those of 9 infants previously treated with large-volume lavage (LVL group), using 40 ml of dilute surfactant, 5 mg/ml.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups were similar at baseline except for a higher mean birth weight in the LVL group (3.29+/-0.36 vs 2.92+/-0.4 kg, P = 0.04). The lavage procedure was longer in the LVL than the SVL group (48.89 +/-7.41 vs. 30.91+/-5.83 mins, P <0.001). Measures of oxygenation, including mean PaO2, oxygenation index, and arterial/alveolar 02 ratio, showed no significant difference between the two groups. Adverse events in the LVL group included transient hypoxemia in 3 infants and white- out on chest x-ray in 5 cases. None of the patients in the SVL group had these findings. The peak mean airway pressure in.the LVL group was higher than that in the SVL group (16.0+/-2. 65 vs 13.3+/-3.01 cmH2O, P = 0.046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SVL has the same benefits in neonatal MAS as LVL. However, SVL appears to be associated with fewer adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Han-Yang
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Wai-Tim
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Jim
authors.forename: Chyong-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Jui-Hsing
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chun-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Shin-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Hung-Yang
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hsin-An
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008471:Meconium Aspiration Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation
chemical_list: D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants