With R& D Activities Increasing, Respiratory Distress Syndrome Treatment Options Are Getting Better

 

Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is an uncommon breathing disorder that affects many newborns around the world. Most infants who develop RDS exhibit signs of distress and difficulty breathing at birth or after a short period of time that follows. The lack of adequate oxygen in the womb or early days after birth can harm the developing brain and other internal organs if not addressed quickly. RDS can be caused by several factors including, preeclampsia, bacterial infections, low birth weight, congenital abnormalities, respiratory distress, maternal infections, or some previously undetected breathing disorders.

The major advantage to the use of a preterm respiratory distress syndrome drug delivery method is that the agent could be administered while the patient is still within the amniotic sacs. If not, the respiratory distress syndrome drug would need to be introduced into the patient once he or she had been clinically born. Most drugs used for this type of treatment are aimed at reducing or suppressing the growth of bacteria within the lungs and the throat.

Although doctors often treat respiratory distress syndrome using mechanical ventilation or a ventilator, these techniques have proven ineffective in many cases. This is because many infants are born with low birth weights. This condition causes low pressures in the lungs, which prevent the lungs from receiving adequate oxygen and prevent proper circulation. To help prevent the development of respiratory distress syndrome, doctors often provide premature infants and small children with a ventilator and recommend a treatment method called surfactant therapy. Various pharmaceutical companies and institutes from the U.K., Italy, and the U.S. are focused on R&D activities in respiratory distress syndrome treatment. Recently, in the U.S., the University of South Carolina found a marijuana compound that could help in acute respiratory distress syndrome.