Comparative evaluation of the effects of BLES and Survanta on treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in newborns

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Symptoms of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), which is inverse correlation with gestational age and birth weight, occur in premature infants and newborns. The main objective of the study is comparative evaluation of the effects of BLES and Survanta on treatment of RDS in newborns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 100 patients were randomly divided into two groups of 50 subjects in this study. While the group receiving BLES included 32 (64%) male and 18 (36%) female infants, there were 29 (58%) male and 51 (52%) female infants in the other group which received Survanta. RESULTS: Although the results of this study showed improvement in respiratory status based on Downes scoring system in both groups after receiving surfactant, there was no significant difference in terms of short-term respiratory enhancement based on Downes scoring system among two groups. Pulmonary hemorrhage was the most frequent complication, with five cases (10%), among infants in BLES group; with five cases, pneumonia was the most observed complication in the group receiving Survanta. No significant difference in terms of complication was observed between two groups (P = 0.438); there was no significant difference in terms of mortality among two groups (P = 0.828). CONCLUSION: Both groups experienced respiratory status enhancement after receiving surfactant and the results of arterial blood gas (ABG) showed positive effects and efficiency of both drugs. Lack of significant difference in the effects of two mentioned drugs, BLES and Survanta, can be the main cause behind the absence of significant difference between two groups in terms of changes in respiratory status or ABG in newborns. No significant difference was observed in terms of complication between two groups, indicating lack of difference in the effects of medicines injected for infants suffering from RDS.