Objective: To compare the efficacy of nasal synchronized intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NSIPPV) and nasal continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (NCPAP) for the treatment of apnea in preterm infants.
Methods: Eighty preterm infants with apnea from August 2010 to January 2011 were randomly administered with NSIPPV and NCPAP (n=40 each).The blood gas results before and 2 hrs after ventilation, time of using ventilator, therapeutic efficacy and complications were compared between the two groups.
Results: There were no significant differences in the blood gas results between the two groups before ventilation. The blood gas results (pH, PO2, PCO2) in the NSIPPV group were better than those in the NCPAP group 2 hrs after ventilation. The time of using ventilator in the NSIPPV group was shorter than that in the NCPAP group (50±9 h vs 91±11 h; P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the total effective rate between the NSIPPV and the NCPAP groups (95% vs 85%; P>0.05). The proportion of ventilator weaning within 3 days in the NSIPPV group (23/40) was higher than that in the NCPAP group (14/40) (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the NSIPPV group was not different from that in the NCPAP group (22% vs 25%).
Conclusions: NSIPPV appears to be superior to NCPAP for the treatment of apnea in preterm infants.