Pediatric pulmonology
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Pediatric pulmonology · May 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparative trial of artificial and natural surfactants in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome of prematurity: experiences in a developing country.
We conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of a synthetic (Exosurf) and natural (Survanta) surfactant in infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Eighty-nine patients were randomly allocated to receive one of the two surfactants. Primary outcome variables were the acute and long-term effects of the surfactant preparations, i.e., ventilatory requirements at 24 h of age as judged by the oxygenation index (OI), and the combined incidence of chronic lung disease or death at 28 days. ⋯ The long-term outcome as judged by the combined incidence of death or chronic lung disease was not different in the two groups (18.6% Exosurf vs. 15.2% Survanta; P > 0.05). When the complications of prematurity were compared, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. We conclude that both preparations are reasonable choices for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome of prematurity.