Use of therapeutic surfactant lavage in a preterm infant with massive pulmonary hemorrhage.
We report a case of a premature infant presenting with recurrent pulmonary hemorrhage in which we performed a therapeutic lavage with diluted surfactant after an acute episode of bleeding with severe intractable hypoxemia. Repeated small aliquots of diluted surfactant (10×2 mL) allowed rapid improvement in oxygenation and reduction of required mean airway pressures during high frequency oscillatory ventilation. This observation may suggest that surfactant lavage could be beneficial in massive pulmonary hemorrhage in infants. A randomized controlled trial might be needed to clarify the potential benefit of this therapeutic intervention on outcome of infants suffering from this life-threatening complication.
Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics;
Ino
I
Kanavaki
Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology and Intensive Care, University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland.
Laszlo
L
Vutskits
Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics;
Peter C
PC
Rimensberger
prematurity.; pulmonary hemorrhage; surfactant lavage