| Abstract: | We describe two infants suffering from severe pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and needing mechanical ventilation with both high ventilator settings and a high fraction of inspired oxygen. The severity of the respiratory failure and the possibility of decreased and/or altered surfactant production led us to treat these infants with intratracheal instillation of natural surfactant. This resulted in an improvement of lung compliance and a decrease in the amount of oxygen required to maintain acceptable oxygen saturations. Intratracheal surfactant instillation might, therefore, be useful in the treatment of severe RSV pneumonia. Pediatr Pulmonol 1996; 22:412–415. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
