During the years 1969, 1970, and 1971, 120 infants with hyaline membrane disease were studied, of whom 71 were treated with artificial ventilation. Among other changes in 1971, positive end-expiratory pressure was applied during mechanical ventilation and continuous positive airway pressure maintained during the weaning period. The survival rate of the ventilated babies increased from 23% in the preceding two years to 70% in 1971. As this study is not a controlled trial, the observed increase in survival cannot be ascribed to the application of increased airway pressure alone. The data presented, though necessarily inconclusive, may be useful for continuing comparisons with other pediatric centers.
A frequent complication of continuous positive airway pressure and mechanical ventilation used to treat neonates who have hyaline membrane disease and other forms of respiratory distress is an air leak from alveolar rupture. Pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum are common. Pneumopericardium does not occur often, but it can be life-threatening if it produces acute cardiac tamponade. In a review of the literature, Brans and associates1 found that pneumopericardium in neonates was treated by pericardiocentesis in one half of the published cases; 79% of them survived or they ultimately died of complications unrelated to pericardial tamponade. However, only 32% of the infants treated conservatively survived.
The influence of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on mortality and complication rates in severe hyaline membrane disease (HMD) was evaluated in a randomized, prospective study. Patients were admitted to the study if the PO2 was ≤ 50 mm Hg with FiO2 ≥ 0.6. Twenty-four patients in each of three weight groups were equally divided between treatment and control groups. The treatment regimen included CPAP (6 to 14 cm H2O) for spontaneously breathing patients and PEEP for patients requiring mechanical ventilation for apnea or hypercapnia (PCO2 ≥ 65 mm Hg). Control patients received oxygen and were mechanically ventilated if they had apnea, hypercapnia, or PO2 ≤ 50 mm Hg with FiO2 ≥ 0.8. Oxygenation improved after the start of CPAP or PEEP; however, PCO2 rose after CPAP was initiated. There was no significant difference between treatment and control groups in mortality, requirement for mechanical ventilation, or incidence of pulmonary sequelae. The incidence of pulmonary air-leak was increased with PEEP. The findings suggest that CPAP and PEEP have not significantly altered the outcome of HMD.
The records of 909 infants who required mechanical ventilation over a 42-month period were reviewed; 68.3% of the infants survived. The highest survival rate was in infants with persistent fetal circulation and hyaline membrane disease, and the lowest in infants with congenital anomalies and miscellaneous diseases. The survival rate for each year of the 3½-year study increased from the previous year. There was also a dramatic increase in the survival rate in infants with a birth weight greater than 1,250 gm.
HIGH-FREQUENCY MECHANICAL VENTILATION OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS WITH RESPIRATORY FAILURE FROM HYALINE MEMBRANE DISEASE: 92% SURVIVAL
