Project Details

Bubble NCPAP vs. Bubble NIPPV for Preterm Infants in Respiratory Distress

Tina Slusher, MD

Summary

BACKGROUND: Infant respiratory distress is a leading cause of under-5 mortality worldwide, leading to over one million infant deaths every year with 99% of these deaths in low to middle income countries. Conventional ventilation equipment costs $10,000+ and requires continuous electricity and highly trained operators, leaving infants in resource-constrained settings without access to life saving treatment. GAP: By validating a non-electric and visually intuitive bubble NIPPV (Non Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation) device which allows clinicians to independently set the upper level of pressure, lower level of pressure and rate (cycles/min), we seek to provide clinicians in resource-constrained settings with an additional technology for management of infants with respiratory distress beyond bubble NCPAP. HYPOTHESIS: In preterm infants with respiratory distress, bubble NIPPV will demonstrate a similar safety profile as bubble NCPAP. METHODS: Preterm infants with a clinical diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome without contraindications to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation will be allocated to bubble NCPAP vs. bubble NIPPV at a major academic medical center in India. RESULTS: Pending. IMPACT: If bubble NIPPV is shown to have a similar safety profile as bubble NCPAP, additional studies to study efficacy should be undertaken. If demonstrated to be safe and effective, bubble NIPPV could be implemented across resource-constrained settings to save hundreds of thousands of infant lives worldwide.

Publications:

John SC, Garg M, Muttineni M, Brearley AM, Rao P, Bhandari V, Slusher T, Murki S. Safety of bubble nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) versus bubble nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in preterm infants with respiratory distress. J Perinatol. 2024 Feb 15. doi: 10.1038/s41372-024-01904-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38361002.