Evidence based guidelines for the management of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in Pakistan: Personal observations and pragmatic opinion

Objective. it is personal observation that in many neonatal intensive care units in various cities of pakistan and other resource limited countries there is a great desire to use their 'ventilator' to ventilate babies with respiratory distress syndrome (rds). many of their practices are not 'evidence based'. thus,there is need not only for evidence based but also pragmatic guidelines for management of rds that can be applicable to resource limited countries. methodology: systematic literature review of management of rds with particular reference to resource limited countries. conclusion: as evidence has become available over the past two decades there have been significant changes in the guidelines and practice for management of rds in the developed world. however,these guidelines need to be pragmatically adapted,modified,improvised and then adopted for resource limited countries like pakistan.