poractant alfa at a glance
Medicine class
Lung surfactant replacement
Main role
Treating surfactant-deficiency respiratory distress syndrome in newborn babies
Administration
Instilled into the trachea by a trained neonatal clinician
Treatment setting
A specialist neonatal setting with continuous breathing, heart-rate and oxygen monitoring
What is poractant alfa used for?
Uses include:
Treatment, including early rescue treatment, of respiratory distress syndrome or hyaline membrane disease in newborn babies.
Preventive use in premature infants who require intubation for stabilisation and are at risk of respiratory distress syndrome or show surfactant deficiency.
How does poractant alfa work?
Surfactant coats the air sacs in the lungs and lowers surface tension, helping them remain open during breathing. Poractant alfa replaces deficient natural surfactant, improving lung expansion and gas exchange.
How to take poractant alfa
Poractant alfa is not swallowed or taken at home. A clinician instils the suspension directly into the trachea through an endotracheal tube or, in suitable spontaneously breathing premature infants receiving CPAP, through a thin catheter using the LISA technique.
Only clinicians trained in premature-infant resuscitation and stabilisation should administer it.
Warm the vial to room temperature and gently invert it to mix; do not shake.
The vial is for single use and any remainder is discarded.
poractant alfa side effects
Common or expected effects
- During LISA administration, temporary oxygen desaturation, apnoea, slowing of the heart rate, froth at the mouth, coughing, choking or sneezing may occur; most reported episodes were manageable.
Get urgent medical advice
- Marked bradycardia, hypotension or reduced oxygen saturation
- Pneumothorax or sudden worsening of breathing
- Pulmonary haemorrhage
- Intracranial haemorrhage
- Sepsis or other signs of infection
- Endotracheal-tube obstruction or another intubation complication
- Excessively high blood oxygen levels
poractant alfa in pregnancy
Pregnancy considerations are not relevant because poractant alfa is administered directly to newborn babies, not to the pregnant parent.
poractant alfa while breastfeeding
Breastfeeding considerations are not relevant to administration because it is given directly into the newborn baby's airway. Feeding decisions depend on the baby's overall neonatal care.
poractant alfa interactions
No interactions with other medicines are known from the product information. Neonatal clinicians should still review all concurrent treatment because premature babies often receive complex intensive care.
Common questions about poractant alfa
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is poractant alfa made from?
It is a natural surfactant prepared from a phospholipid fraction extracted from pig lungs and contains the surfactant proteins SP-B and SP-C.
Why is poractant alfa given to premature babies?
Premature lungs may not produce enough surfactant to keep their air sacs open. Poractant alfa replaces this deficiency and supports breathing and gas exchange.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.