The first successful trial of surfactant treatment for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was reported in 1980. Since then there have been numerous randomised trials demonstrating first, the efficacy of surfactant treatment in reducing pulmonary air leaks and increasing survival and second, assessing various other aspects of therapy. These studies show that multiple doses may be needed if surfactant is used to treat established RDS but early or prophylactic treatment is superior for infants with gestational ages less than 30 weeks. Natural surfactants (containing proteins) are more effective than synthetic products (protein free), the latter now being infrequently used. Natural surfactants vary and should not be considered to be equivalent in their effects. A porcine surfactant (poractant alfa) acts more rapidly than a bovine preparation (beractant) in infants with moderate to severe RDS. A meta-analysis of 5 comparative studies suggests that a dose of 200 mg/kg of poractant alfa is associated with lower mortality compared with 100 mg/kg of beractant. Chronic lung disease remains a problem but it is hoped that early treatment with surfactant combined with extubation to continuous positive airway pressure will reduce this complication of prematurity. The newer synthetic surfactants, containing analogues of surfactant protein B or C, have undergone some trials for treatment of RDS but comparative studies which have just been published do not show that they are superior to existing natural surfactants. However, as they are more resistant to inactivation they may have a role in treatment of adult or acute RDS. The last 25 years have seen a large increase in basic science research on surfactants with determination of the structure and function of the four surfactant proteins probably being the most important advances. Future studies will focus on widening the indications for surfactant treatment, developing non-invasive means of administration and assessing the role of the newer synthetic surfactants.

Keywords:
Surfactant, Preterm infant, Respiratory distress syndrome, Continuous positive airway pressure, Clinical trials, History
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© 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel
2005
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