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Hyaline membrane disease (HMD): an historical and Oslerian perspective

Journal of Perinatology volume 38, pages 1602–1606 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Hyaline membrane disease (HMD) offers an illustration of a disease discovered during the lifetime of William Osler and effectively treated in the twentieth century—the perspective that suggests that there was a straightforward progressive identification of the disease process, a discovery of the underlying biochemical agent responsible for the pathophysiology, and the pharmacological refinement of that agent to be used to treat the disease is illusory. By reviewing the timeline from the earliest pathological description of what was to be later termed HMD to the discovery of surfactant and its impact on infant mortality, this narrative will demonstrate how various random historical events served to affect the progress of developing a treatment for HMD; how the marked reduction in deaths due to HMD may have set the stage for unrealistic expectations; and how the humanities have warned us of the potential for excessive optimism in our understanding of nature.

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Author notes

  1. This work was presented in part at the annual meeting of the American Osler Society, Pittsburgh, PA, 16 May 2018.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, , Galveston, Texas, 77550, USA

    Michael H. Malloy & John P. McGovern

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  1. Michael H. Malloy
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  2. John P. McGovern
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Correspondence to Michael H. Malloy.

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Malloy, M.H., McGovern, J.P. Hyaline membrane disease (HMD): an historical and Oslerian perspective. J Perinatol 38, 1602–1606 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0237-1

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