Chest
. 2021 Jan 22;S0012-3692(21)00100-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.01.028. Online ahead of print.
Surfactant for Treatment of ARDS in COVID-19 Patient
Moshe Heching 1 , Shaul Lev 2 , Dorit Shitenberg 3 , Dror Dicker 2 , Mordechai R Kramer 3
Affiliations
- PMID: 33493441
- DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.01.028
Abstract
Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suffer from severe respiratory symptoms consistent with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The clinical presentation of ARDS in COVID-19 is often atypical, as COVID-19 patients exhibit a disproportionate hypoxemia as compared to a relatively preserved lung mechanics. This pattern is more similar to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) secondary to surfactant deficiency, which has been shown to benefit from exogenous surfactant. We present our experience with exogenous surfactant treatment in a COVID-19 patient suffering from COVID-19 related ARDS. The patient responded with improved oxygenation, and we believe surfactant was the catalyst for the successful extubation and clinical improvement of the patient.