Question

To improve respiratory status, which medication should you be prepared to administer to the newborn infant with RDS?

a) Theophylline (Theolair, Theochron)

b) Surfactant (Exosurf)

c) Dexamethasone (Decadron)

d) Albuterol (Proventil)

Answer 1

To treat a newborn with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), administer Surfactant (Exosurf), which is crucial for lung inflation and improving respiratory function.

Step-by-step explanation:

To improve respiratory status in a newborn infant with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), the medication you should be prepared to administer is b) Surfactant (Exosurf). RDS primarily occurs in infants born prematurely, resulting from insufficient production of pulmonary surfactant. This deficiency prevents the lungs from properly inflating at birth, leading to dyspnea and impaired gas exchange. Since RDS is characterized by a lack of surfactant, administration of exogenous pulmonary surfactant is a critical intervention. It reduces the surface tension of the alveoli, facilitating lung inflation and improving respiratory function. Medical advances like the introduction of pulmonary surfactant therapy have reduced the death due to RDS by 50 percent.