文本框: EARLY POSTNATAL DEXAMETHASONE THERAPY IN PREMATURRE INFANTS WITH SEVERE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME TO PREVENT CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE HE S-R, ZHONG M-Q, SUN Y-X, XIE Y-M, ZHANG Y-H, ZHONG J Dept. of Neonatology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, China Objective: to determine whether early (≦12hours)postnatal dexamethasone therapy would facilitate removal of the mechanical ventilation and improve outcome in premature infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome to prevent chronic lung disease. Methods: thirty-seven surfactant-pretreated infants (<32weeks,<1500g) who had severe respiratory distress syndrome were randomly enrolled to receive 12-day course of dexamethasone (n=12), 3-day (n=13) and placebo (n=12). The starting dose of dexamethasone was 0.5mg/kg per day, and it was tapered progressively. Results: ventilator variables at 4.6±2.4 days (p=0.003) were significantly improved in 12-day course group who received dexamethasone compared with those who received placebo. Significantly more infants could be exctubated by 4.1±3.8 day (p=0.005), and reduce receiving supplemental oxygen (4.6±2.4 days, p=0.0001), and length of stay in hospital.12-day dexamethasone therapy reduced the incidence of chronic lung disease. There were no statistically significant differences between the 3-day course group of survivors and placebo in time receiving supplemental oxygen (4.627.3±13.8 days, p=0.70527) and length of stay in hospital. However, Active treatment signify-cantly reduced the duration of further assisted ventilation. Conclusion: we found that early postnatal dexamethasone therapy for12-day improves pulmonary status, facilitates removal of the edotracheal tube, minizes lung injures and reduces the chronic lung disease in premature infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome. There was no evidence of serious side effects; in particular, infection rates were similar in three groups. 0683