BLES Versus Curosurf for Treatment of Respiratory Distress in Preterm Neonates and Their Adverse Effects

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in preterm neonates that can be diagnosed by clinical and radiographic findings. Surfactants are highly effective for the diminution of neonatal mortality. The question, however, is which type of surfactant is more efficacious. Methods: This was a double-masked randomized clinical trial conducted from November 2015 to November 2016. For this study, 240 preterm neonates with established RDS were recruited who were then equally divided into two major groups. The first group received BLES while the second one received Curosurf. These two major groups were subsequently divided into equal subgroups based on positive and negative maternal history of betamethasone administration. The other demographic characteristics of the enrolled neonates, such as sex, gestational age, and severity of RDS, were matched. Results: The observations showed that maternal betamethasone was associated with the indices like oxygenation index, hospital stay, assisted ventilation, surfactant induced adverse effects, and expenses, but it did not affect the indices such as repetitive doses of surfactants and mortality. The type of applied surfactant was not associated with the aforementioned indices but the expenditure of those receiving BLES was less than that of the opposite group. This could be attributed to the lower cost of BLES. Conclusions: Given the beneficial effects of prenatal corticosteroid administration, it is highly recommended for imminent preterm labor. Furthermore, with respect to almost similar therapeutic efficacy of BLES compared with Curosurf, it can be considered as a valuable candidate for surfactant therapy.