Respiratory Distress Syndrome: An Issue of Clinics in Chest Medicine

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) refers to a type of breathing disorder that occurs in newborns. Those babies who are born prematurely suffer from this syndrome, as their lungs are not fully developed. This syndrome occurs due to the deficiency of surfactant, a body fluid made by the lungs. There are several symptoms of RDS, such as widening of nostrils while breathing, grunting, fast and shallow breathing, etc. RDS is diagnosed by performing blood tests, lung imaging tests and heart tests. There are various therapies of RDS including mechanical ventilation, nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) and surfactant replacement therapy. This book contains a detailed explanation of the various diagnostic and therapeutic techniques associated with respiratory distress syndrome. It aims to shed light on some of the unexplored aspects of this disease. A number of latest researches have been included to keep the readers up-to-date with the global studies on this medical condition.