Intensive Care Medicine 9 Springer-Verlag 1991 Effect of surfactant replacement on Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in rats

Abstract. The effect of intratracheal surfactant instilla-tion on pulmonary function in rats with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) was investigated. In those ani-mals which developed PCP with severe respiratory failure after administration of cortisone acetate s.c. over 8-12 weeks, pulmonary function was improved by surfactant instillation. PaO 2 values 30 min after surfactant instilla-tion were significantly higher compared to pretreatment values and also compared to PaO2 values of rats 30 rain after receiving saline (482.9mmHg+_44.7, 170.7mmHg + 39.3 and 67.2 mmHg+ _ 17.4, respectively). Histological examination showed that alveoli of rats with PCP which received no exogenous urfactant are filled with foamy edema, whereas after exogenous urfactant alveoli are stabilized and well-aerated. These results indicate that ex-ogenous urfactant may help patients with severe PCP to overcome an acute stage of respiratory distress