Mechanical ventilation in the respiratory distress syndrome: a controlled trial.

0. A., and Swyer, P. R., (1970). Archives of Disease in Childhood, 45, 624. Mechanical ventilation in respiratory distress syndrome: a controlled trial. A controlled study of mechanical ventilation has been performed in infants with respiratory distress syndrome. 168 infants in respiratory failure were ventilated and 53 similar infants were not. Artificial mechanical ventilation improved survival in infants weighing more than 2000 g. from 15% to 43 o (4/27 vs. 29/67, p < 0 025). Infants who weighed more than 1500 g. and developed respiratory failure at less than 38 hours of age had an improved survival (16/31) on ventilatory treatment, as compared with infants more than 1500 g. ventilated at more than 38 hours of age (24/78) (p < 0 05). Artificial ventilation improved Pao0, PaCO2, and [H+Ia within one hour, but it was only the change in [H+t]a in infants more than 2000 g. which was of prognostic