Development of audit measures and guidelines for good practice in the management of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Report of a Joint Working Group of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine and the Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians.

Abstract

Development of audit measures and guidelines for good practice in the management of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome Report of a Joint Working Group of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine and the Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a condition of increasing respiratory distress, commencing at, or shortly after, birth and increasing in severity until progressive resolu- tion occurs among the survivors, usually between the 2nd to 4th day.It is due, at least in part, to insufficiency of pulmonary surfactant and is mainly confined to preterm infants with imperfect cardiopulmonary adaptation to extrauterine life.In extremely immature infants severe under development of respiratory archi- tecture contributes to the pathophysiology of the condition.The syndrome is manifest by respiratory distress (cyanosis, tachypnoea, grunting, and recession) and respiratory failure is diagnosed by blood gas analysis.Diagnosis is usually confirmed by an x ray film (ground glass appearance and air bronchograms), but these radiological features are not patho- gnomonic of RDS.