Pulmonary Surfactants for Acute and Chronic Lung Diseases (Part II)

Abstract

Part 2 of the review considers the problem of surfactant therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in adults and young and old children. It gives information on the results of surfactant therapy and prevention of ARDS in patients with severe concurrent trauma, inhalation injuries, complications due to complex expanded chest surgery, or severe pneumonias, including bilateral pneumonia in the presence of A/H1N1 influenza. There are data on the use of a surfactant in obstetric care and prevention of primary graft dysfunction during lung transplantation. The results of longterm use of surfactant therapy in Russia, suggesting that death rates from ARDS may be substantially reduced (to 20%) are discussed. Examples of surfactant therapy for other noncritical lung diseases, such as permanent athelectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and asthma, as well tuberculosis, are also considered.

Keywords

• lung surfactant
• acute respiratory distress syndrome
• direct and nondirect lung injury
• chronic lung disease