RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Exogenous pulmonary surfactant in COVID-19 ARDS. The similarities to neonatal RDS suggest a new scenario for an ‘old’ strategy
JF BMJ Open Respiratory Research
JO BMJ Open Resp Res
FD British Thoracic Society
SP e000867
DO 10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000867
VO 8
IS 1
A1 Reena M Bhatt
A1 Howard W Clark
A1 Massimo Girardis
A1 Stefano Busani
YR 2021
UL http://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000867.abstract
AB Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) related to SARS-CoV-2 infection has some unusual characteristics that differentiate it from the pathophysiology described in the more ‘typical’ ARDS. Among multiple hypotheses, a close similarity has been suggested between COVID-19 ARDS and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). With this opinion paper, we investigated the pathophysiological similarities between infant respiratory diseases (RDS and direct neonatal ARDS (NARDS)) and COVID-19 in adults. We also analysed, for the first time, similarities in the response to exogenous surfactant administration in terms of improved static compliance in RDS and direct NARDS, and adult COVID-19 ARDS. In conclusion, we believe that if the pathological processes are similar both from the pathophysiological point of view and from the response in respiratory mechanics to a recruitment treatment such as surfactant, perhaps the latter could be considered a plausible option and lead to recruitment in clinical trials currently ongoing on patients with COVID-19.Data are available on reasonable request.