Page 80 - Physiological based CPAP for preterm infants at birth Tessa Martherus

Chapter 3
Figure 5. Effect of reducing CPAP levels from 15 cmH2O to either 8 or 5 cmH2O on a) functional residual capacity (FRC; median (Q1-Q3)), b) breathing rates, c) FRC levels measured at experiment end and d) breathing rates measured at experiment end. Measurements were taken after CPAP decrease started with t=0 indicating the end of CPAP changes. Asterisk (*) indicates significant changes within groups.
Discussion
This is the first study to compare the effects of CPAP levels on FRC at birth in spontaneously breathing very preterm rabbits. We found that high CPAP levels, which are higher than those currently used clinically, improved lung aeration. Kittens that were supported with 15 cmH2O CPAP reached higher mean, maximum and final FRC levels and more kittens attained FRCs of >15 mL/kg during the immediate newborn period (up to 10 min after birth). The results of this study also suggest that higher CPAP levels better support spontaneous breathing immediately after birth. While breathing parameters did not reach statistical significance between groups, the occurrence of apnoea was markedly lower in preterm kittens supported with CPAP levels of ≥12 cmH2O. Furthermore, we found that CPAP levels of
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