What is the exact laboratory tests for diagnosis of hyaline membrane disease?

tests for diagnosis of hyaline membrane disease

Most cases of hyaline membrane disease can be ameliorated or prevented if mothers who are about to deliver prematurely can be given one of a group of hormones glucocorticoids. This speeds the production of surfactant. For very premature deliveries, a glucocorticoid is given without testing the fetal lung maturity. In pregnancies of greater than 30 weeks, the fetal lung maturity may be tested by sampling the amount of surfactant in the amniotic fluid, obtained by inserting a needle through the mother's abdomen and uterus. The 'maturity level' is expressed as the lecithin-sphingomyelin (or "L/S") ratio. If this ratio is less than 2, the fetal lungs may be surfactant deficient, and a glucocorticoid is given.

Oxygen is given with a small amount of continuous positive airway pressure ("CPAP"), and intravenous fluids are administered to stabilize the blood sugar, blood salts, and blood pressure. If the baby's condition worsens, an endotracheal tube (breathing tube) is inserted into the trachea and intermittent breaths are given by a mechanical device. An exogenous preparation of surfactant, either synthetic or extracted from animal lungs, is given through the breathing tube into the lungs. One of the most commonly used surfactants is Survanta, derived from cow lungs, which can decrease the risk of death in hospitalized very-low-birth-weight infants by 30%. Such small premature infants may remain ventilated for months. Chronic lung disease including bronchopulmonary dysplasia are common in severe RDS. The etiology of BPD is problematic and may be due to oxygen, overventilation or underventilation. The mortality rate for babies greater than 27 weeks gestation is less than 10%.

HMD is usually diagnosed by a combination of assessments, including the following:

appearance, color, and breathing efforts (indicate a baby's need for oxygen).

chest x-rays of lungs - often show a unique "ground glass" appearance called a reticulogranular pattern. X-rays are electromagnetic energy used to produce images of bones and internal organs onto film.

blood gases (tests for oxygen, carbon dioxide and acid in arterial blood) - often show lowered amounts of oxygen and increased carbon dioxide.

echocardiography (EKG) - sometimes used to rule out heart problems that might cause symptoms similar to HMD. An electrocardiogram is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias or dysrhythmias), and detects heart muscle damage.

Hyaline membrane disease is a pathological term which can diagnose exactly by lung biopsy.Normally diagnosis of HMD can be done on clinical symptoms basis, CXR,it is diagnosis of exclusion.