RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME IN NEWBORNS AT THE CLINIC FOR CHILDREN'S DISEASES – SKOPJE FOR 2025, CARE AND TREATMENT BY THE NURSE
Keywords:
respiratory distress syndrome, nursing care, premature births, low birth weight, mortalityAbstract
Respiratory distress syndrome in newborns is a complex clinical syndrome, a serious condition that occurs due to underdeveloped lungs, infections, aspiration, as well as other perinatal complications. It most often occurs in premature infants. Early recognition of symptoms (cyanosis, tachypnea, intercostal retractions, respiratory failure) significantly improves diagnosis and prognosis. In addition to neonatal intensive care, modern neonatology is developing new diagnostic and therapeutic methods (non-invasive ventilation, surfactant therapy, oxygen saturation monitoring), which makes this topic relevant for continuous scientific study.
Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the number of newborns with respiratory distress syndrome treated in the intensive care unit at the Clinic for Children's Diseases in Skopje for a period of one year.
Materials and methods: This paper presents a retrospective descriptive analysis of patients with respiratory distress syndrome monitored during 2025. The obtained data are systematized, presented graphically.
Results: 30 newborns diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome during 2025 at the Clinic for Children's Diseases in Skopje were analyzed. The data show that respiratory distress syndrome occurs in both sexes, without a significant difference in frequency, which indicates that gender is not a significant risk factor for the occurrence of the condition. The data show that the majority of newborns are premature, i.e. with a gestational age of less than 37 weeks, which confirms that lung immaturity is a major factor in the occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome. The majority of newborns come from mothers of reproductive age, most often in the group from 24 to 34 years. Birth weight is classified into several categories (under 1000 g, up to 2500 g and over 2500 g). The data obtained show that a significant proportion of newborns have low birth weight, which is a common factor associated with premature birth and the occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome. Cesarean section is more common, which is a common practice in high-risk pregnancies and premature birth. The data show that respiratory support was almost equally applied to newborns, such as CPAP (non-invasive ventilation) and mechanical ventilation (MV). Mortality is 6.66%, i.e. 2 newborns out of the total number of those admitted for treatment and care.
Conclusion: The care and treatment of patients with respiratory distress syndrome are crucial for survival and improvement of health status. Care is most often provided in the neonatal intensive care unit by a nurse, in order to facilitate breathing and prevent complications. Therefore, professional, attentive and continuous nursing care is one of the most important factors in the successful treatment of this condition.
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