Objectives: To identify risk factors and outcomes associated with early failure of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in premature infants with respiratory distress (RD).
Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of all the preterm infants with RD primarily supported on nasal CPAP and included in CPAP trials conducted at the study site. Data was collected from the raw excel sheets of the previous trials but limited to eligible patients from study site. Early CPAP failure was defined as the need for mechanical ventilation in the first 72 h after birth. Predictor variables for CPAP failure included baseline maternal and infant characteristics, CPAP care practices, morbidities and adjuvant therapies. The morbidities and outcomes were compared among infants with CPAP failure and CPAP success.
Results: Six hundred and fifty-two infants were enrolled in the study. Early CPAP failure was seen in 96 infants (14.7%, 95% CI: 12%-17.5%). On logistic regression, adjusting for gestation and year of study, time of starting CPAP in hours (OR 1.01, 95% CI: 1.003-1.013), time of surfactant administration in hours (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05-1.19), InSurE (Intubate Surfactant Extubate) (OR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.43-5.06) and higher starting FiO2 (OR 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05) predicted early CPAP failure. Neonatal morbidities and hospital duration were significantly higher in infants who failed CPAP.
Conclusions: Early starting of CPAP, InSurE, early surfactant administration, lower CPAP pressures and lower FiO2 at starting of CPAP were the important determinants of success.
Keywords: Infant; Moderate preterm; Nasal CPAP; RDS; Surfactant.