These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Amniotic fluid surfactant-albumin ratio as a screening test for fetal lung maturity. Two years of clinical experience.
    Author: Bayer-Zwirello LA, Jertson J, Rosenbaum J, Moccio R, O'Grady JP, Kanaan CM, Gimovsky ML.
    Journal: J Perinatol; 1993; 13(5):354-60. PubMed ID: 8263619.
    Abstract:
    An automated amniotic fluid surfactant-albumin ratio (SAR) test was performed as a screening test for pregnancies requiring fetal pulmonary maturity testing. Of the 178 neonates delivered within 3 days of the testing, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) developed in 21 (11.8%) and transient tachypnea of the newborn infant (TTN) in 11 (6.1%). A positive test was defined as one which predicted RDS or TTN. Sensitivity was interpreted as the proportion of neonates with RDS or TTN detected by SAR less than 70 mg/gm. Sensitivity was 90.7% with a specificity of 76.1%. The positive predictive value was 45.3%; the negative predictive value 97.4%. The interassay coefficient of variability was 3.5%. The SAR test has proven to be a rapid, precise laboratory tool. Our combined testing protocol uses the SAR as an initial screening test with the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio used as backup if the SAR did not predict maturity (SAR < 70 mg/gm). This protocol has markedly lowered the use of lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios while maintaining necessary clinical accuracy.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]