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:

  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. Nutritional Adjustment:
  • Malnutrition below the body’s needs is related to insufficient intake, and it should be ensured that enough is provided.