PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A G De Paoli
AU  - C J Morley
AU  - P G Davis
AU  - R Lau
AU  - E Hingeley
TI  - In vitro comparison of nasal continuous positive airway pressure devices for neonates
AID  - 10.1136/fn.87.1.F42
DP  - 2002 Jul 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
PG  - F42--F45
VI  - 87
IP  - 1
4099  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/87/1/F42.short
4100  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/87/1/F42.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2002 Jul 01; 87
AB  - Objective: To compare the resistance in vitro of different devices used for the delivery of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in neonates. Design: Flows of 4–8 litres/min were passed through a selection of neonatal NCPAP devices (single prong, Duotube, Argyle prong, Hudson prong, Infant Flow Driver), and the resultant fall in pressure measured using a calibrated pressure transducer. Results: The decrease in pressure (cm H2O) for each device (size in parentheses) at a constant flow of 6 litres/min was: Duotube: (2.5), 21; (3.0), 6.2; (3.5), 2.3; single prong: (2.5), 4.4; (3.0), 2.1; (3.5), 1.2; Argyle prong: (XS), 3.6; (S), 1.9; (L), 1.5; Hudson prong: (0), 3.1; (1), 1.8; (2), 0.6; (3), 0.4; (4), 0.3; Infant Flow Driver: (small), 0.3; (medium), −0.3; (large), −0.5. Conclusions: A large variation in the potential fall in pressure may occur in the clinical setting. Devices with short double prongs had the lowest resistance to flow. These results have implications in the selection of the optimal device/s for clinical application and for future comparisons in randomised trials of NCPAP in neonates.