Pulmonary Surfactant Preparations and Surfactant Therapy for ARDS in Surgical Intensive Care (a Literature Review)

Introduction. Despite the fact that clinical studies of pulmonary surfactants conducted over many years have demonstrated their efficacy for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which led to their approval for use inRussia andBelarus, only a few similar positive results have been achieved in other countries. This calls for an extensive literature review for intensive care professionals. Materials and methods. Using the data from 87 papers this review covers the composition, properties, methods of administration and delivery strategies of surfactant in the treatment and prevention of ARDS in patients with sepsis, severe complex injuries, inhalation injuries and a range of complications associated with thoracic and cardiovascular surgical procedures, massive blood transfusions, severe obstetric pathologies and the A/H1N1 pneumonia. Results. The early administration of natural pulmonary surfactants within 24 hours following the onset of ARDS as a part of the ARDS combination treatment or prevention drives down the time on mechanical ventilation to six days or shorter, prevents ventilator-associated and hospital-acquired pneumonias, bringing the respiratory failure mortality rate down to 15–20%. Discussion. Offering the first attempt to discuss the causes of failure of Phase III multicenter clinical trials outsideRussia andBelarus, this review outlines recent developments in synthetic and powdered pulmonary surfactant preparations. Conclusion. Pulmonary surfactants are highly effective as a part of complex therapy in ARDS treatment and prevention, resulting in two to four fold drop in ARDS mortality rate. The timing of administration is seen as the key factor of the efficacy of surfactant therapy, explaining the differences in clinical trials results from different countries.