Clinical course in infants diagnosed with transient tachypnea of newborn: A clinical trial assessing the role of conservative versus conventional management

Abstract

Background: Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is a respiratory disorder secondary to inadequate or delayed clearance of lung fluids. Early symptoms of the disease are indistinguishable from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and persistent pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, these newborns, in addition to receiving conservative management, receive antibiotics until blood cultures provide definite results. In this study, we assessed the clinical course of neonates diagnosed with TTN who received conventional versus conservative management.

Methods: One hundred and thirty neonates diagnosed as having TTN were randomly enrolled in two study groups. While patients belonging to one group received conservative management, those from the other group were treated with conventional medical therapy.

Results: Mean duration of hospitalization was 7 ± 0.2 in the conventional and 5 ± 1.5 in the conservative group. Duration of antibiotic therapy was 6.7 ± 2.47 days in the conventional group.

Conclusion: Newborns diagnosed with TTN without prenatal risk factors and a negative C reactive protein test do not need to be administered antibiotics and hospitalized until confirmatory blood culture results are obtained.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Hospitalization; Transient tachypnea of newborn.