Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39103471›Full record

ArticleJournal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association2025

Using a simplified Downes score to predict the receipt of surfactant in a highly resourced setting.

William Chotas, Erika M Edwards, Delia Horn, Roger Soll, Danielle E Y Ehret

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

William ChotasDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA. wchotas@gmail.com.ORCID 0009-0004-1787-3868
Erika M EdwardsDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
Delia HornDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
Roger SollDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
Danielle E Y EhretDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe Downes score is a neonatal examination scoring tool frequently used to guide initiation of CPAP, but its ability to predict the need for surfactant has not been assessed. We assessed the extent to which the Downes score predicts the receipt of surfactant. STUDY

designWe calculated a simplified Downes score from nursing admission data for infants (≤ 2000 grams, and ≥ 25 weeks' gestation) admitted on CPAP to a highly resourced level III NICU, to assess the predictive value for the receipt of surfactant.

resultsFifty-three (31.5%) out of 168 infants admitted on CPAP received surfactant. A simplified Downes score of ≥ 4 predicted the receipt of surfactant with 90.6% sensitivity, 52.2% specificity, 46.6% positive predictive value, 92.3% negative predictive value, and 64.3% accuracy.

conclusionThe high sensitivity and negative predictive value suggest utility for using the Downes score to help guide clinical decision making regarding surfactant therapy.

Indexed as

Continuous Positive Airway PressurePulmonary SurfactantsRespiratory Distress Syndrome, NewbornClinical Decision-MakingFemaleGestational AgeHumansInfant, Extremely PrematureInfant, NewbornInfant, PrematureIntensive Care Units, NeonatalMalePredictive Value of TestsRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityPulmonary Surfactants

Identifiers

PMID39103471
PMCPMC11711085

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.