The tube will allow us to place him on a ventilator. We move him to the triage area of the nursery. I determine the proper pressure, rate, and oxygen level on the ventilator and confirm my settings with the neonatologist. We put the infant on the ventilator. It is difficult to keep his oxygen level up.
Premature infants lack a substance in the lung called surfactant.
Surfactant helps keep the air sacks in the lung open. One of the wonders of modern medicine is the recent development of artificial surfactant. By administering artificial surfactant we are able to save the lives of many premature infants. The neonatologist feels that the little boy needs surfactant. He draws up 4 cc in a syringe, we place the little boy on his right side, the physician squirts half the surfactant in into the breathing tube.