Journal of General Practice

Success of Bubble CPAP in Treatment of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Preterm Infants

Abstract

Tufail Soomro and Shiyam Sunder Tikmani

Background: To observe the survival of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome treated with bubble CPAP in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the NICU of Civil hospital Sukkur from 1st July 2013 to 18th August 2015. All consecutively born preterm neonates with gestational age between 27 weeks to 36 weeks of gestation, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with respiratory distress are included in the study. These neonates were managed by Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) in combination with surfactant (bovine derivative) via intubation, Surfactant replacement, extubation (INSURE) protocol Success was considered when neonates were clinically stable and required <0.3 FiO2 to maintain oxygen Saturation >90% and PaCO2 <40-45 mmHg. Results: Mean age of enrolled infants was 1.35 ± 0.60 days, 70 (57.9%) were males and 51 (42.1%) were female, mean weight was 1.76 ± 0.37 kg and mean gestational age was 33 ± 2.3 weeks. Overall 77 (63.6%) preterm infants were successfully weaned off from CPAP. Multivariable analysis showed weight of infant less than 1.5 kg or 8.63 (95% CI: 1.71-43.57), respiratory rate of more than 70 breaths per minute, or 9.59 (95% CI: 2.59-35.52), nasal flaring or 3.35 (95% CI: 1.08-10.31) and typical findings of RDS on chest X-rays 12.04 (95% CI: 1.89-76.52) are independent risk factors for failure of bCPAP. However, gestational age 0.70 (95% CI: 0.54-0.89) is protective against failure. Conclusion: bCPAP has a high proportion of success in the management of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm. It could be most useful in resource-constrained settings.