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Research ArticleOriginal Research

Evaluation of a Low-Cost Bubble CPAP System Designed for Resource-Limited Settings

Desmond J Bennett, Ryan W Carroll and Robert M Kacmarek
Respiratory Care January 2018, respcare.05762; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4187/respcare.05762
Desmond J Bennett
Department of Respiratory Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Ryan W Carroll
Department of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Robert M Kacmarek
Department of Respiratory Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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  • For correspondence: rkacmarek@mgh.harvard.edu
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Respiratory compromise is a leading contributor to global neonatal death. CPAP is a method of treatment that helps maintain lung volume during expiration, promotes comfortable breathing, and improves oxygenation. Bubble CPAP is an effective alternative to standard CPAP. We sought to determine the reliability and functionality of a low-cost bubble CPAP device designed for low-resource settings.

METHODS: The low-cost bubble CPAP device was compared to a commercially available bubble CPAP system. The devices were connected to a lung simulator that simulated neonates of 4 different weights with compromised respiratory mechanics (∼1, ∼3, ∼5, and ∼10 kg). The devices' abilities to establish and maintain pressure and flow under normal conditions as well as under conditions of leak were compared. Multiple combinations of pressure levels (5, 8, and 10 cm H2O) and flow levels (3, 6, and 10 L/min) were tested. The endurance of both devices was also tested by running the systems continuously for 8 h and measuring the changes in pressure and flow.

RESULTS: Both devices performed equivalently during the no-leak and leak trials. While our testing revealed individual differences that were statistically significant and clinically important (>10% difference) within specific CPAP and flow-level settings, no overall comparisons of CPAP or flow were both statistically significant and clinically important. Each device delivered pressures similar to the desired pressures, although the flows delivered by both machines were lower than the set flows in most trials. During the endurance trials, the low-cost device was marginally better at maintaining pressure, while the commercially available device was better at maintaining flow.

CONCLUSIONS: The low-cost bubble CPAP device evaluated in this study is comparable to a bubble CPAP system used in developed settings. Extensive clinical trials, however, are necessary to confirm its effectiveness.

  • CPAP
  • bubble CPAP
  • respiratory distress
  • low-resource settings
  • Uganda
  • neonate

Footnotes

  • Correspondence: Robert M Kacmarek PhD RRT FAARC, Dept of Respiratory Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114. E-mail: rkacmarek{at}mgh.harvard.edu.
  • The other authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest.

  • Copyright © 2018 by Daedalus Enterprises
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Respiratory Care: 64 (2)
Respiratory Care
Vol. 64, Issue 2
1 Feb 2019
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Evaluation of a Low-Cost Bubble CPAP System Designed for Resource-Limited Settings
Desmond J Bennett, Ryan W Carroll, Robert M Kacmarek
Respiratory Care Jan 2018, respcare.05762; DOI: 10.4187/respcare.05762

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Evaluation of a Low-Cost Bubble CPAP System Designed for Resource-Limited Settings
Desmond J Bennett, Ryan W Carroll, Robert M Kacmarek
Respiratory Care Jan 2018, respcare.05762; DOI: 10.4187/respcare.05762
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Keywords

  • CPAP
  • bubble CPAP
  • respiratory distress
  • low-resource settings
  • Uganda
  • neonate

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