1

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1.

Background
Respiratory diseases account for the most frequent admission of the newborns

to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the hospital. The etiology is varied, depends on the
etiology of diseases. The most common etiology of neonatal respiratory distress is
transient tachypnea of the newborn; this is triggered by excessive lung fluid, and
symptoms usually resolve spontaneously. Respiratory distress syndrome can occur in
premature infants as a result of surfactant deficiency and underdeveloped lung
anatomy. Intervention with oxygenation, ventilation, and surfactant replacement is
often necessary.
Prenatal administration of corticosteroids between 24 and 34 weeks gestation
reduces the risk of respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn when the risk of
preterm delivery is high. Meconium aspiration syndrome is thought to occur in utero
as a result of fetal distress by hypoxia. The incidence is not reduced by use of
amnioinfusion before delivery nor by suctioning of the infant during delivery.
Treatment options are resuscitation, oxygenation, surfactant replacement, and
ventilation. Other etiologies of respiratory distress include pneumonia, sepsis,
pneumothorax, persistent pulmonary hypertension, and congenital malformations;
treatment is disease specific. Initial evaluation for persistent or severe respiratory
distress may include complete blood count with differential, chest radiography, and
pulse oximetry.
Furthermore, the prevalence of all of etiologies of respiratory distress in
newborns hospitalized in neonatal unit, at the Department of Health Child, Haji
Adam Malik General Hospital is high enough. One of them is respiratory distress
syndrome (RDS) or used to be known as hyaline membrane disease (HMD). By here,
the writer intends to report a case with RDS in one of newborns hospitalized in
neonatal unit, at the Department of Health Child, Haji Adam Malik General Hospital.
1.2.

Objectives
The objectives of this paper are:

To report a case occurring at the Department of Health Child, Haji

Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan

To further study about the respiratory distress affecting neonates,
especially respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).