Abstract:Objective To study the effects of caffeine citrate combined with pulmonary surfactant on cytokine levels and arterial blood gas results in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).Methods From January 2019 to December 2023, 80 NRDS hospitalized neonates were incorporated into the study and randomly divided into two groups, with 40 cases in each group. The experimental group received combination therapy (bovine pulmonary surfactant for injection and caffeine citrate injection), while the control group received pulmonary surfactant for injection only. The serum cytokine levels and arterial blood gas results were compared, and correlation analysis was carried out.Results The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in serum TNF-α, IL-6, and SAA levels from baseline compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Notably, more pronounced improvements in pulmonary oxygenation parameters were documented in the experimental group, as evidenced by larger increases in PaO? and OI, coupled with greater decreases in PaCO? levels, all reaching statistical significance compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Robust positive associations were identified between inflammatory markers and oxygenation status within the experimental cohort, with Spearman correlation coefficients revealing strong relationships between OI values and TNF-α (rs = 0.946, P = 0.000) as well as IL-6 concentrations (rs = 0.672, P = 0.000).Conclusion The combination therapy of NRDS with caffeine citrate and pulmonary surfactant can reduce serum cytokine levels and improve arterial blood gas indexes. In the experimental group, the OI decreased with the decrease of serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels.