Usefulness of DuoPAP in the treatment of very low birth weight preterm infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

OBJECTIVE : This study exam - ined the usefulness of nasal Duo positive airway pressure (DuoPAP) in the treatment of very low birth weight preterm infants with neonatal respi - ratory distress syndrome (NRDS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-five very low birth weight preterm infants with NRDS were ran - domly divided into two groups. Forty-five infants were treated with DuoPAP, while 40 infants were treated using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). The study outcomes were pH, PaCO 2, PaO 2, oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2), and the number of failure cases at 1, 12, and 24 hours after non-invasive respiratory support. RESULTS: At all studied time points, after non- invasive respiratory support, PaCO 2, PaO 2 and oxygenation index were significantly ( p < 0.05) better in the nasal DuoPAP group compared with nasal CPAP group. In addition, rates of failure of assisted ventilation (respectively, 4.44% vs. 22.50%) and the occurrence of apnea (13.33% vs. 32.50%) were significantly ( p < 0.05) better in the nasal DuoPAP group. Other parameters (such as duration of noninvasive ventilation, number of retinopathies of premature children, intraventric - ular hemorrhages, or periventricular leukomala - cias) were comparable between both non-inva - sive regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal DuoPAP better improves oxygenation, reduces CO 2 retention, and diminish - es the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and complications in the treatment of NRDS.