Open AccessThe role of lung ultrasound in preterm neonates with respiratory distress in neonatal intensive care unit
Author(s) -
Sidhant Swarup,
Rakesh Kumar Panigrahi,
Suryakanta Swain,
Hemant Agrawal
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
indian journal of child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2349-6126
pISSN - 2349-6118
DOI - 10.32677/ijch.v8i8.2981
Subject(s) - medicine , respiratory distress , neonatal intensive care unit , gestational age , mechanical ventilation , intensive care unit , intensive care , lung , neonatal respiratory distress syndrome , pediatrics , anesthesia , intensive care medicine , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Up to 29% of late preterm babies suffer from respiratory distress due to which they need to be admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Point-of-care ultrasound is a useful tool in critical neonate care, providing valuable information without any risk of ionizing radiation to the newborn. Materials and Method: This mono-centric, descriptive, and prospective study was conducted in NICU. Preterm newborns of less than 36 weeks with respiratory distress at birth on non-invasive ventilation were recruited. A lung ultrasound was performed at first 12 h of life and followed till their discharge. Main outcomes need for surfactant treatment. Results: Sixty preterm infants (median gestational age: 29 weeks) were recruited. Newborn in the surfactant group requiring ultrasound and intervention was significantly higher than in no surfactant group (p<0.0001). In 15 newborns who received surfactant, the first dose was administered at a median age of 4.5 h. In 13 of these 15 newborns, the lung ultrasound scan was subsequently repeated an average of 2 h (Standard deviation or SD: 2) On average, the second dose of surfactant was administered at 24 h of life (SD: 9). Conclusion: Early lung ultrasound in preterm infants with respiratory distress appears to be a useful tool with no adverse effects for the patient. It allows a better assessment of respiratory distress by detecting patients with a greater risk of requiring surfactant or mechanical ventilation, even before oxygenation criteria.