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Treating RDS
Treatment of RDS usually occurs in an NICU or SCN where trained health care professionals can
care for your baby around-the-clock. As part of the care given to your baby, oxygen and carbon
dioxide in his blood are checked regularly to keep them at a safe level. His blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing pattern are watched electronically. Oxygen is given through short tubes in your baby's nose (nasal prongs) or through a tube placed in his windpipe. This tube will be connected to a breathing machine (ventilator). Also, medicines, fluids, and nutrition are given to him through a thin tube placed directly into a vein (an IV).
Other possible problems may follow RDS. An example of one of the problems that may follow RDS
is bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This condition develops when the air sacs in the lungs are damaged by RDS. In BPD, the lungs are inflamed and can bleed, develop scar tissue and increase mucus production, all of which make breathing harder in a way similar to asthma. BPD can take months or even years to heal.
Air leaks are another problem that can occur as a result of RDS. These develop when the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) break open and air leaks into the spaces around the lung tissue. The air must be removed with a needle or a tube inserted into the space between the lungs and chest wall. In addition to these problems, there are several others that a preterm infant may be more likely to develop than a full-term baby. Medical care for premature infants is focused on preventing or reducing these problems.
Treatment for infants with RDS in the NICU:
- Warm, humid, oxygen-enriched air given through the nose with nasal prongs
or a tube in the windpipe
- Warmer bed or isolette to keep baby warm
- IV to maintain fluid balance and to give medications
- Feeding tube
- Surfactant therapy
* IMS DDD Lung Surfactant Market Purchases July 1991 through June 2007. On file, Abbott Nutrition Marketing Research.
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