Question
How should neonates be cared for after treatment for respiratory distress syndrome?
Answer
The key points of post-treatment care for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome include:
- Oxygen Therapy Care:
- Continuous positive pressure breathing oxygen supply: This can be done through a ventilator (connected to a nasal cannula) or early simple nasal cannula bottle method.
- If the condition has not improved after tracheal intubation and pure oxygen CPAP, intermittent positive pressure ventilation with expiratory positive end-expiratory pressure should be adopted.
- Precautions:
- Inability to maintain spontaneous breathing is related to progressive atelectasis due to a lack of pulmonary surfactant.
- Impaired gas exchange is related to the formation of pulmonary hyaline membrane due to a lack of pulmonary surfactant in alveoli.
- Nutritional Adjustment:
- Malnutrition below the body’s needs is related to insufficient intake, and it should be ensured that enough is provided.