Symptoms And Treatment Of Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Neonatal RDS is a condition of increasing respiratory distress commencing at or shortly after birth (BAPM-2006). It’s the single most important cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants (Greenough, et al 2004). Typically RDS affects preterm infants with the incidence being inversely proportional to the gestational age (Stewart 2005) Approximately 60% of those born before 28 weeks gestation are affected (Fraser, et al 2004) Incidence also increases in infants of diabetic mothers those born via elective caesarean section (Fraser, et al 2004) and perinatal asphyxia (Rodriguez, 2003).

The new versus classic BPD features have changed over the years. The approaches to care, including surfactant administration, permissive hypercapnia, and noninvasive ventilation have changed. All these has increased the survival of low birth weight infants as before with classic BPD. The classic BPD was before surfactant and more management techniques, and inflammation and alveolar septal fibrosis. All these changes were associated with oxygen toxicity, infection, and barotrauma.

Premature birth has been linked to a vast array of lungs problems, the earlier the birth the greater risk of health complications(Davis R and Mychaliska G, 2013). A majority of the health problems will affect the infant for the rest of their life (Davis R and Mychaliska G, 2013). Infants born between the canalicular and the saccular period (week 25) have lung development that is unsuitable for gas exchange (Davis R and Mychaliska G, 2013). Two major complications that arise with undeveloped lungs is bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and pulmonary arterial hypertension (Mahgoub L. et al. 2017).

Some nurses turn up the babies’ oxygen because of other health care issues such as patent

The list of proposed chronic abnormalities is lengthy. To this date, research has confirmed the following: 1) SIDS is due to a dysfunction of the cardiac and/or respiratory systems, and 2) the death of the infant is due to hypo-ventilation of the lungs and periods of complete cessation of breathing or apnea. Hypo-ventilation and apnea cause hypo-perfusion of the tissues with necessary oxygen. Ischemia of tissues results and eventually causes death. Research now centers around discovering the cause of infant hypo-ventilation and apnea.

This could lead to different types of diseases such as; BPD (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia) , Asthma, or even SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). BPD is more commonly found in premature infants but in some cases healthy babies can also get this disease. One of the reasons why BPD is common in premature babies is because their immune systems are weak. BPD is from damage to the lungs caused by mechanical ventilation (respirator) and long-term use of oxygen. This occurs in premature babies because a lot of time they have to be put on oxygen to help them breath until their lungs become stronger. When an infant is diagnosed with a chronic lungs disease it can lead to other types of infections or complications. If a baby has to be put on a ventilator it could cause complications with their lungs. Ventilators force breathing which means that the ventilators will be forcing high oxygen levels into the lungs of an infant or premature baby. This could possibly cause damage to their lungs. Another chronic lung disease that is commonly found in babies is SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). SIDS is an unexplained death, it usually happens while the baby is sleeping, it can happen to a healthy baby who is less than a year old. Some physicians say that the cause of SIDS is from the brain stem being defected; the brain stem controls breathing. Out of 60,000

One of the most controversial behaviours parents can do is adjust the babies sleeping environment. There have been multiple arguments on this topic; however, research has shown that a babies sleeping environment can impact their sleeping safety tremendously. Some safety precautions all care givers can do is: placing the baby on their back to sleep, keeping the crib clean and clear of any toys or pillows, don’t overheat the baby with clothes or blankets instead try a sleeping sack, and lastly allow the baby to sleep in the caregivers room for the first six months or until the infant is capable of rolling over on their own. Another way to help prevent SIDS is by using a pacifier. Strangely enough, pacifiers can reduce the risk of SIDS due to the fact that they help prevent a baby from going into a deep sleep. Though, caregivers need to take precaution when doing this if an infant is breast feeding as they should not be introduced to pacifiers until they are nursing well. Consequently, one of the easiest ways to prevent SIDS is to not ignore sicknesses, especially respiratory related issues. In the first year of an infant’s life something as simple as a cough or old can impact them greatly. By taking an infant to a clinic, doctor, or even the emergency room as soon as any signs of sickness strike could save their life. Ultimately, there is no guaranteed that these precautions will work and unfortunately SIDS does happen. Despite that, there are multiple ways for caregivers to cope with this

Bronchiolitis is a lower respiratory infection caused commonly by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the first two years of life. Nearly every child in the United States will be infected with RSV before its second birthday. The condition is a leading cause of hospital admissions among children under the age of two. The populations most frequently and severely affected by bronchiolitis include; infants less than 12 months of age, children born at a low gestational age (less than 32 weeks), and children with chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, or immunodeficiency. Standardized and proper diagnosis and management are essential to effective treatment. The guideline established by the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2014 provides practitioners with recommendations for diagnosis, management, and prevention of bronchiolitis in children.

2013 the relationship between arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide PaCO2 with different pulmonary illness and neurodevelopmental impairment in premature babies was studied. The setting were multiple neonatal intensive care units. The method used in the study is a secondary exploratory analysis data from past research were procedures such as invasive like intubation, which involves the insertion of a tube in the trachea, were performed. The main variable measured was the amount of PaCo2 used going from high to low, described as Hypercapnia, Normocapnia, Hypocapnia and Fluctuators (from Hyper to Hypo). The group of premature infants assigned to the higher exposure to PaCO2 suffered death or severe

Another group of patients which require challenging ventilation strategies are the preterm infants. The lungs of preterm infants have undeveloped distal airway structures, with a thick air/blood barrier and a small surface area for gas-exchange (Wallace et al., 2009). They are most likely to be surfactant deficient due to under-developed epithelial cells which lack the type II alveolar cells (Wallace et al., 2009). As a result, preterm infants often require respiratory support in the minutes following birth (Roupie et al., 1995).

According to the American Lung Association, “Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a rapidly progressive disease occurring in critically ill patients.” ARDS is an extreme manifestation of a lung injury that can be associated with an acute medical problem. This occurs as a result of direct or indirect trauma to the lungs. With nearly 200,000 cases in the United States each year, ARDS is not extremely common (“Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome”). Most people who acquire this disease are critically ill patients within the hospital. The most common predisposing medical problems of ARDS consist of: shock, trauma, pulmonary infections, sepsis, aspiration, and cardiopulmonary bypass (Ignatavicious, 2013). ARDS is a severe syndrome and even with prompt and aggressive medical treatment, almost fifty percent of those diagnosed do not survive. Those who survive have a longer hospital stay along with recurring hospital admissions throughout their lifetime (“Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome”). Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a rapidly progressive disease which requires thorough assessment, rapid diagnosis, and emergency treatment measures in order to successfully respond to the disease process.

Bronchiolitis is defined by the textbook as, “a diffuse, inflammatory obstruction in the small airways or bronchioles occurring most commonly in children” (Heuther & McCance, 2012). It is an acute inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory tract that occurs most commonly in infants and is caused by infection with seasonal viruses such as respiratory synctial virus (RSV) (Zorc & Hall, 2010). Bronchiolitis often results from an obstruction of the small airways. It is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States (Zorc & Hall 2010) and is arguably the most common significant medical illness of childhood, with at least “1 in 7 normal infants developing symptomatic bronchiolitis in his or her first year of

In this article, DiBlasi argues that the conventional method used to provide ventilatory support to preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome; nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is ineffective. The author bases the claim on the fact that almost half of the infants supported by this technique often develop respiratory failure that warrants invasive ventilatory support and endotracheal intubation that is injurious in nature. According to the author, invasive ventilatory procedures should be avoided to minimize the excessive complications that are usually associated with them.

The most serious of these being hyaline membrane disease (HMD), most commonly known as RDS or respiratory distress syndrome. Babies that suffer from this condition will tend to find it very difficult to breathe due to the increased surface tension and the ultimate lack of oxygen transported through the body can seriously impair and damage the functions of the brain and other organs of the baby. Surfactant deficiency’s can also sometimes be caused by mutations in a particular gene. An example of this is surfactant protein or SP-B deficiency. This particular dysfunction is hereditary and is caused by a gene mutation on chromes number two. Babies that suffer from tis condition rarely survive past a few months. However there are some procedures that can help babies who may have been born prematurely and have not manufactured enough surfactants to support regular functions. Surfactant replacement therapy and surfactant supplements are amongst the most popular treatments of these types of surfactant deficiencies in newly born

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a common lung disorder that mostly affects preterm infants. RDS is caused by insufficient surfactant production and structural immaturity of the lungs leading to alveolar collapse. Clinically, RDS presents soon after birth with tachypnea, nasal flaring, grunting, retractions, hypercapnia, and/or an oxygen need. The usual course is clinical worsening followed by recovery in 3 to 5 days as adequate surfactant production occurs. Research in the prevention and treatment of this disease has led to major improvements in the care of preterm infants with RDS and increased survival. However, RDS remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality especially in the most preterm infants. This chapter reviews the most current evidence-based management of RDS, including prevention, delivery room stabilization, respiratory management, and supportive care.