Audio Qbank – Q65 – A neonate with breathing difficulty

 

A 985-gram female newborn delivered at 27 weeks gestation develops subcostal retractions, grunting, and rapid breathing during the first minute of life. Auscultation of the chest demonstrates coarse rhonchi. CXR shows a reticulogranular appearance. ABG shows high pCO2, low pO2, and low pH. A deficiency of which of the following is most likely responsible for this patient’s presentation?

  Lecithin
  Phosphatidylinositol
  Pulmonary citrate/saline ratio
  Sphingomyelin
  Surfactant protein D

Cut-to-the-chase Answer (0:38):

HY USMLE Answer (4:07):