Does surfactant improve the uniformity of lung aeration in preterm newborns?
Project description
In very preterm infants, non-uniform lung aeration occurs when regions of the immature lung remain liquid-filled after birth, which restricts gas exchange to aerated lung regions. This study will examine the effect of surfactant administration on the uniformity of lung aeration and the distribution of ventilation in mechanically ventilated preterm rabbits using synchrotron phase contrast x-ray imaging