Noninvasive Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (NCPAP) in Children

In critically ill pediatric patients with Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF), Noninvasive Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (NCPAP) is applied to avoid intubation and all related complications such as tracheal injury and predisposition to nosocomial pulmonary infections. The choice of the interface is one of the crucial issues affecting treatment outcome in pediatric age and in particular in preschool children in whom intolerance frequently compromise noninvasive respiratory treatment. NCPAP is applied either through nasal or facial tight fitting masks and the most important principle in guiding the selection of an interface is that it should fit comfortably. However, while nasal mask can leak gas when the infant opens his/her mouth, facial mask can cause significant gastric distension and vomiting, with risk of aspirating gastric contents. Moreover, complications such as air leaks, skin irritation on the bridge of the nose, and discomfort reported with nasal or facial masks in children frequently lead to interruption of the respiratory treatment. Thus, improving the interface between the patient and the ventilator would be expected to facilitate longer and more effective application of NCPAP. A new small helmet specifically designed for young infants has been recently introduced to administer NCPAP. In a recent short term crossover physiological randomized controlled trial, the investigators found that NCPAP by helmet was associated with enhanced feasibility, less need of sedation and prolonged application time (see references below). The purpose of this prospective randomized multicenter study is to compare the efficacy and feasibility of NCPAP delivered either by helmet or by facial mask to treat acute respiratory failure in infants admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).