Four causes of neonatal respiratory distress — key discriminators.
RDS: preterm, ground-glass CXR, worsening over 48–72 h — treat with surfactant + CPAP.
TTN: near-term elective LSCS, wet-lung CXR, self-resolves within 48 h.
MAS: meconium-stained liquor, barrel-chest hyperinflation, risk of PPHN.
Pneumothorax: sudden deterioration on PPV/CPAP, absent breath sounds, tracheal deviation — needle decompression is life-saving.
Grunting · Flaring · Retracting are common to all four; the discriminators are context, gestation, and CXR.