Continuous positive airway pressure - a gentler approach to ventilation.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has become a useful modality in management of respiratory distress, especially in preterm babies. Main indications for use of CPAP are respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and apnea of prematurity. It decreases the need of invasive and costly mechanical ventilation. This review details the physiological effects of CPAP, its methods of delivery, and its need in a country like India. It also describes the guidelines for initiating and weaning CPAP. The review concludes that use of CPAP in respiratory distress syndrome is associated with lower rates of failed treatment, decreased incidence of chronic lung disease and lower overall mortality, specially in infants with birth weight above 1500 grams. Early use of CPAP is more beneficial, Surfactant and CPAP act in conjunction for babies with RDS. CPAP is a low-cost, simple and noninvasive option for a country like India, where most places lack facilities of mechanical ventilation. Systematic reviews, randomized and quasi-randomized trials by searching MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library formed the basis of this update.