NASAL CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE IN THE TREATMENT OF RESPIRATORY-DISTRESS SYNDROME - AN EXPERIENCE FROM A DEVELOPING-COUNTRY

Forty-four premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were admitted and initially treated with binasal continuous positive a irway pressure (CPAP) using Beneveniste's valve and silastic nasal pro ngs. Twenty-seven cases (61 per cent) were successfully treated compar ed to 17 cases (39 per cent) who failed to respond to CPAP. Neither ge stational age nor birth weight had a detremental effect on the success of nasal CPAP. There was significant improvement of RDS with a mild t o moderate degree of severity on CPAP. No pneumothorax was reported in any of our cases. The success group had a significantly lower inciden ce of infection, apnea, intraventricular haemorrhage and retinopathy o f prematurity.