Document resource
Traditionally, preterm infants treated with surfactant for respiratory distress syndrome received it through an endotracheal tube (ETT) during a period of mechanical ventilation (MV). More recently, it has been given via a thin catheter (TC), through which they cannot be ventilated, often referred to as ‘less invasive surfactant administration’ (LISA). A recent systematic review reported that giving surfactant via TC, compared with ETT, reduces the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death in preterm infants.1 However, the studies included were heterogeneous, and most included infants >28 weeks who were at low risk of BPD or death. The use of TC surfactant varies—a 2017 survey reported that 52% of European neonatologists used it,2 whereas 15% of US clinicians reported using it in a 2019 survey. 3