Airway Pressure During Nasal High Flow and CPAP in Neonates

Airway Pressure During Nasal High Flow and CPAP in Neonates

Nasal High Flow (NHF) and CPAP are established forms of respiratory support in neonates and often produce similar clinical outcomes. The aim of the study was to investigate airway pressure during NHF and CPAP in neonates.

Methods: A physiological study which measured pressure intra-nasally with micro (750 µm) pressure probes (Millar, USA) in 10 (5M / 5F) healthy newborns with mean gestation age 37.18 (SD 1.29) wk and mean birth weight of 2414 (SD 503.13) g. NHF was applied at 8 L/min (AIRVO 2) through smaller (OPT 314) and larger (OPT 316) Optiflow nasal cannula; CPAP 5 cmH20 was produced by a Bubble CPAP system and nasal mask interface at constant flow 8 L/min (Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, NZ). Values are expressed in cmH20 as means and standard deviations (SD).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy term newborns

Exclusion Criteria:

• Newborns with any medical problems after birth
• Absent of parents consents