The Introduction of the Laryngeal Mask Airway for Surfactant Administration in Neonates with Respiratory Distress in Azerbaijan
In coordination with the the United States of America’s Fulbright Program for Visiting Scholars, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan invited a neonatologist from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (Nashville, TN, USA) to Baku to discuss the advanced care of and application of available technologies to care for critically ill and premature infants. One of the main focuses of this visit was to introduce a new method for the administration of pulmonary surfactant through the placement and use of the laryngeal mask airway. Training consisted of both theoretical and practical sessions held at the Shaki Perinatal Centre, Ganja Perinatal Centre, Azerbaijan Medical University, Scientific Research Institute of Pediatrics, Scientific Research Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Republican (Central, National) Perinatal Centre and Republican (Central, National) Clinical Hospital. Nearly two hundred neonatal physicians were trained to use this device. The objective of this paper is to review Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome and discuss treatment of this common neonatal problem with a laryngeal mask airway and the instillation of surfactant.