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Respiratory Distress Syndrome Blog

Related terms: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), ARDS, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

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Sufaxin Approved to Prevent Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Posted 7 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 7 – Sufaxin (lucinacant) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent respiratory distress syndrome, a serious lung condition that affects infants born prematurely. Premature birth is defined as being born before 37 weeks' gestation. The lungs of infants born this early can't produce surfactant, a liquid that coats the lungs and prevents them from collapsing. Most babies with respiratory distress syndrome show signs of breathing problems within the first hours after birth, the FDA said in a news release. Sufaxin, the fifth FDA-approved drug for respiratory distress syndrome, was evaluated in clinical studies involving nearly 1,300 premature infants. Most side effects involved the breathing tube used to administer the drug. Adverse reactions included tube reflux or obstruction, skin paleness and the need for dose interruption. Sufaxin is ... Read more

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Discovery Labs Announces FDA Approval of Surfaxin (lucinactant) for Prevention of Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Posted 6 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

WARRINGTON, Pa., March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Discovery Laboratories, Inc., a specialty biotechnology company dedicated to advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care, today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Surfaxin (lucinactant) for the prevention of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) in premature infants at high risk for RDS. Surfaxin is the first synthetic, peptide-containing surfactant approved for use in neonatal medicine. Discovery Labs anticipates that Surfaxin will be commercially available in the United States in late 2012. "The approval of Surfaxin is an important medical advancement for the neonatology community and parents of preterm infants who will soon have an effective alternative to animal-derived surfactants to prevent the development of RDS," said W. Thomas Amick, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive ... Read more

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Drug for Acute Respiratory Distress May Do More Harm Than Good: Study

Posted 12 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, Dec. 11 – A study assessing intravenous infusion of the drug salbutamol in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome was halted because the treatment did not improve patient outcomes and was associated with an increased risk of death, researchers say. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs in about 14 percent of patients who require being placed on mechanical ventilation. The death rate among patients with ARDS is high – 40 to 60 percent – and survivors have a substantial decrease in their quality of life. However, "routine use of [beta-2] agonist therapy in mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS cannot be recommended," the researchers wrote in an article published in the Dec. 12 online edition of The Lancet. The British study included 326 patients who received either salbutamol (also known as albuterol) or a placebo within 72 hours of developing ARDS, ... Read more

Lung Function of Late Preemies May Improve With Age

Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 – Just like extremely premature babies, infants born between 33 and 34 weeks' gestation can have impaired lung function at ages 8 to 9, but in these moderately premature children, lung function may improve by the time they are teenagers, research shows. "There has been a lot of research demonstrating the negative effects that extreme premature birth can have on the lung function of children, but limited data on the lung function of moderately preterm-born children, especially as they grow older," the study's lead author, Sarah Kotecha from Cardiff University, in the United Kingdom, said in a news release from the European Lung Foundation. Babies born earlier than 40 weeks of gestation may have immature, or not fully developed, lungs. This can result in severe breathing difficulties such as respiratory distress syndrome, the study authors noted in the news release. ... Read more

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Delivering Babies Even a Few Weeks Early Ups Respiratory Risks

Posted 27 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 27 – Infants born even a few weeks early run the risk of developing breathing problems compared with full-term babies, a new study finds. Late preterm births – defined as between the 34th and 37th weeks of pregnancy – account for about 9 percent of all infants born in the United States, the researchers said. And too often, they are the result of a planned Cesarean deliveries, one expert noted. However, delivering even a bit before term may carry risks for baby, the researchers reported. "Our study verifies that late preterm birth neonates delivered from 34 to 37 weeks have much higher risks for respiratory complications than infants delivered from 38 to 40 weeks gestation," said lead researcher Dr. Judith U. Hibbard, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "The risk for respiratory [illness] decreases with each advancing week ... Read more

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Additional Steroid Dose May Help Preemies

Posted 29 Jan 2009 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 29 – Giving a second dose of steroids to babies still in the womb can reduce their post-birth respiratory problems and does not seem to affect their growth the way multiple courses can, new research shows. In babies born before 34 weeks, about 43 percent of those given a second dose of steroids in utero had complications, compared with about 63 percent of the babies given a placebo. "We saw a 31 percent reduction in overall composite neonatal morbidity. That's highly significant," said study author Dr. James Kurtzman, an associate clinical professor in the division of maternal-fetal medicine in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Irvine. The real advantage, he added, came from the reduction in respiratory problems. Fewer babies had respiratory distress syndrome, and fewer babies needed mechanical ventilation. Results of the study ... Read more

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