Bench-to-bedside review: Paediatric viral lower respiratory tract disease necessitating mechanical ventilation – should we use exogenous surfactant?

Table 1 Surfactant composition and function in mechanically ventilated children with viral (respiratory syncytial virus) lower respiratory tract disease

Reference	Study population (n; index/controls)	RSV⁺ patients (n)	Specimens	Study item	Index patients	Control patients
[21]	12/8	11/12	ET	SP-A	1.02 (0.35–4.67) μg/ml*	14.4 (5.6–58.7) μg/ml
				PC	350 (140–540) μg/ml*	1060 (690–4020) μg/ml
				MST	44 (42.5–45)*	34 (26–37)
[22]	30/35	27/30	ET	SP-A	2.4 ± 2.0 μg/ml*^,a	12.8 ± 14.7 μg/ml
				SP-B	14.0 ± 19.3 μg/ml^a	19.8 ± 29.8 μg/ml
				L/S ratio	11.2 ± 5.7*	41.8 ± 62.7
				PC	82.4 ± 62.1	120.5 ± 73.4
				Sphingomyelin	9.2 ± 7.9	8.1 ± 8.6
[23]	24/19	18/24	BAL	PG absent	8*	0
				Surfactant activity present	2*	12
[24]	18/16	18/18	BAL	SP-A	5.6 (0.6–151.9) μg/ml*	9.0 (0.5–139.6) μg/ml
				SP-B	12.0 (0.0 – 60.8) ng/ml*	118.1 (0.0–778.2) ng/ml
				SP-D	130.3 (0.0–148.6) ng/ml*	600.4 (0.0–1869.0) ng/ml

Values are expressed as mean (range) or mean ± standard deviation. ^aExpressed as quantity per total protein amount. BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; ET, endotrachael aspirate; L/S, lecithin/sphyngomyelin; MST, mean surface tension; PC, phosphatidylcholine; PG, phosphatidylglycerol; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus; SP, surfactant protein. *P < 0.05.

ISSN: 1364-8535