title: Variety of expiratory resistance between different continuous positive airway pressure devices for preterm infants.
abstract: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) systems for preterm infants work with conventional ventilators or use a jet ventilation system. It is assumed that the most important advantage of jet-CPAP systems is a lower expiratory resistance (R(E) ). We investigated the R(E) of seven different CPAP systems. We studied two primary-care CPAP systems, three jet-CPAP generators, and two conventional CPAP devices. All devices were adjusted at 6 mbar and connected with a test lung simulating a standardized expiration volume. Maximum pressure increase during expiration was measured and maximum R(E) was calculated. In primary-care CPAP devices, the maximum R(E) of the Benveniste valve was 9.7 mbar/L/s (SD 1.2) while that of the Neopuff was 102.8 mbar/L/s (SD 7.9) (P < 0.01). In jet-CPAP devices, the R(E) of the Infant Flow was 6.8 mbar/L/s (SD 1.7), the one of the Medijet REF 1000 was 43.5 mbar/L/s (SD 1.5), and that of the Medijet REF 1010 was 36.7 mbar/L/s (SD 0.3) (P < 0.01). In conventional CPAP systems, the R(E) of the Baby Flow was 29.7 mbar/L/s (SD 1.1) and that of the Bubble CPAP was 37.1 mbar/L/s (SD 4.3) (P < 0.01). All CPAP devices created an R(E). Jet-CPAP devices did not produce lower R(E) than conventional CPAP devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of General Pediatrics and Neonatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. martin.wald@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wald
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kribs
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jeitler
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lirsch
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.forename: Lieselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kirchner
mesh_terms: D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011312:Pressure