the Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Preventative Measures
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), also known as hyaline membrane disease, is a potentially fatal condition that effects newborns, mostly premature infants. About 40,000 newborns are diagnosed with this disease annually and the rate is growing rapidly (Ludman, Mark D). RDS is a common breathing problem with premature newborns because myriad organs of the infants are underdeveloped, especially the lungs. This prevents the newborn from being able to breathe in oxygen and pass it to the necessary organs in the body that depend on it. Unfortunately, if treatment is not immediately given to a newborn with RDS, then death is a plausible outcome. The primary cause of respiratory distress …show more content…
There are numerous signs and symptoms that will indicate that a child has RDS. Infants that are experiencing hypoxia (a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues) will appear to have a bluish /greyish tint to their skin known as, cyanosis. Cyanosis is an indicator that there is not enough oxygen in the blood. If a child has hypoxia and cyanosis, then the doctors can diagnose the infant with respiratory distress syndrome. Some other symptoms of RDS are dyspnea (difficulty breathing), expiratory grunts (noise made by neonates with respiratory problems), cardiac arrest (sudden loss of the heart) and limpness (Ludman, Mark D). Premature neonates are very fragile and delicate because their bodies are not fully developed and therefore, some cannot withstand these symptoms. Death usually occurs within the first three days if the condition of the child continues to exacerbate. Many exams such as chest x-rays, blood tests and echocardiography can be used to confirm if a doctor has properly diagnosed the condition correctly. Blood tests are used to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood and chest x-rays are used to looks for the distinctive cloudy appearance of RDS in the lungs of premature
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), also known as hyaline membrane disease, is a potentially fatal condition that effects newborns, mostly premature infants. About 40,000 newborns are diagnosed with this disease annually and the rate is growing rapidly (Ludman, Mark D). RDS is a common breathing problem with premature newborns because myriad organs of the infants are underdeveloped, especially the lungs. This prevents the newborn from being able to breathe in oxygen and pass it to the necessary organs in the body that depend on it. Unfortunately, if treatment is not immediately given to a newborn with RDS, then death is a plausible outcome. The primary cause of respiratory distress …show more content…
There are numerous signs and symptoms that will indicate that a child has RDS. Infants that are experiencing hypoxia (a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues) will appear to have a bluish /greyish tint to their skin known as, cyanosis. Cyanosis is an indicator that there is not enough oxygen in the blood. If a child has hypoxia and cyanosis, then the doctors can diagnose the infant with respiratory distress syndrome. Some other symptoms of RDS are dyspnea (difficulty breathing), expiratory grunts (noise made by neonates with respiratory problems), cardiac arrest (sudden loss of the heart) and limpness (Ludman, Mark D). Premature neonates are very fragile and delicate because their bodies are not fully developed and therefore, some cannot withstand these symptoms. Death usually occurs within the first three days if the condition of the child continues to exacerbate. Many exams such as chest x-rays, blood tests and echocardiography can be used to confirm if a doctor has properly diagnosed the condition correctly. Blood tests are used to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood and chest x-rays are used to looks for the distinctive cloudy appearance of RDS in the lungs of premature