RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio in hypopharyngeal aspirate of newborn infants.
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 856
OP 861
DO 10.1136/adc.50.11.856
VO 50
IS 11
A1 Barr, P A
A1 Jenkins, P A
A1 Baum, J D
YR 1975
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/50/11/856.abstract
AB The lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio was measured in the hypopharyngeal aspirate of 41 newborn infants. In 20 without respiratory distress the ratio within 24 hours from birth ranged from 1.5 to 5.8 with a mean value of 3.3. In 6 with 'transient tachypnoea of the newborn' the ratio ranged from 2.0 to 6.7 with a mean value of 3.2. In 15 infants with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) the ratio ranged from 0.9 to 2.1 with a mean value of 1.4. In 14 of these infants the ratio within 24 hours from birth was 1.7 or less. One infant with a higher ratio and severe RDS is described in detail. Serial hypopharyngeal aspirate L/S ratios were determined in the infants with RDS. There was a possible trend toward the earlier attainment of a ratio of 2.0 in infants who received continuous distending airway pressure compared with infants who did not.