Mortality, severe respiratory distress syndrome, and chronic lung disease of the newborn are reduced more after prophylactic than after therapeutic administration of the surfactant Curosurf.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that prophylactic treatment with the surfactant Curosurf (Chiesi Farmaceutici SPA, Parma, Italy) improves survival and respiratory problems more than rescue treatment. DESIGN Meta-analysis of three prophylaxis versus rescue treatment trials, conducted in four countries. METHODS A meta-analysis was performed with the original, individual data of mortality, severe respiratory distress syndrome, and chronic lung disease of 671 newborns as outcomes. The random-effects logistic model (accounting for the trial-within-country structure) was applied and adjusted for imbalances in covariates. RESULTS The probability of each outcome differed between the countries, but the actual treatment effect itself did not. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) for prophylaxis versus rescue were as follows: mortality: OR, .47; 95% CI, .30 to .73; severe RDS: OR, .50; 95% CI, .33 to .74; and chronic lung disease of the newborn in the survivors at day 28 after birth: OR, .54; 95% CI, .34 to .86. Gender, birth weight, gestational age, and prenatal administration of glucocorticosteroids were significant confounding covariates. CONCLUSION The analysis shows that for the porcine surfactant Curosurf, prophylactic administration of surfactant has significant advantages over rescue therapy.