THE NATURE OF THE HYALINE MEMBRANE IN ASPHYXIA OF THE NEWBORN

[摘要] The lungs of 5 newborn infants who succumbed because of respiratory difficulty with the formation of pulmonary hyaline membranes were studied by fluorescent antibody and dye-staining procedures. Human amniotic fluid was examined by the same methods. It was found that the hyaline membranes in these infants were composed largely of fibrin. Although small amounts of fibrin were found in some of the amniotic fluids studied, the quantities were small relative to those found in the membranes. It was concluded that hyaline membranes can be produced as the result of: 1) effusion from the pulmonary circulation; 2) conversion of fibrinogen in the effusion to fibrin (which process would be enhanced by the thromboplastic activity of aspirated amniotic fluid), and 3) syneresis of the fibrin to form a membrane. It is recognized that such fibrin containing membranes are not solely composed of fibrin but also contain other elements such as lipid and squamous cells from vernix in the amniotic fluid.

[学科分类] 儿科学