_Low
surfactant – Respiratory distress syndrome – usually due to pre-maturity, rarely
due to surfactant protein deficiency (genetic
cause)
§Surfactant is
critical to reduce surface tension and allow lung expansion at the air fluid
interface.
_Inadequate surfactant leads to alveolar collapse on
expiration of air, and difficulty
re-inflating
_Damage to the alveolus leads to cellular injury and
exudation of proteins known as hyaline
membranes (Hyaline membrane disease)
§Continued
injury from ventilation of immature lungs can lead to chronic injury known as
bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
§Steroids
accelerate lung development and surfactant production
_Surfactant can also be administered