Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat respiratory distress in newborns in low- and middle-income countries
Open accessAbstract
Severe respiratory distress is a serious complication common to the three major causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity (prematurity, intra-partum-related hypoxia and infections). In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), 20% of babies presenting with severe respiratory distress die. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), is an effective intervention for respiratory distress in newborns and widely used in high-income countries. Following the development of simple, safe and relatively inexpensive CPAP devices, there is potential for large-scale implementation in the developing world. In this article, we describe existing CPAP systems and present a review of the current literature examining the effectiveness of CPAP compared to standard care (oxygen) in newborns with respiratory distress. We also discuss the evidence gap which needs to be addressed prior to its integration into health systems in LMICs.
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Bubble CPAP is a simple and relatively inexpensive form of CPAP that may be safe and cost-effective for delivering CPAP and reducing neonatal mortality in LMICs.
“Bubble CPAP is a simple and relatively inexpensive form of CPAP [8,11].”
From Barriers and enablers of implementing bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): Perspectives of health professionals in Malawi (2020) · cites this paper as [8]
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- Authors
- Dewez, J. E., & van den Broek, N.
- Affiliations
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (GB)
- Head, Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Corresponding author
- Dewez, Juan Emmanuel
- ORCID
- Dewez, Juan Emmanuel
- Venue
- Tropical Doctor
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-07-10
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 19-22
- ISSN
- 0049-4755 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-1133
- PMC
- PMC5152792
- OpenAlex
- W2273311508
- Cited by
- 48
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 3.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Tropical Doctor (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- LSTM Online Archive (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) (acceptedVersion)
- LSHTM Research Online (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Neonatal Respiratory Health Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Respiratory Support and Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Keywords
- continuous positive airway pressure, neonatal respiratory distress, neonates, low- and middle-income countries, CPAP devices, oxygen therapy, preterm infants, neonatal mortality, health system integration, evidence gaps
- MeSH terms
- Developing Countries, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature, Oxygen Inhalation Therapy, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn, Intensive Care, Neonatal, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
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