Airway pressure during nasal high flow and CPAP in neonates

Introduction: Nasal High Flow (NHF) and CPAP are established forms of respiratory support in neonates and often produce similar clinical outcomes. The aim of the study was to investigate airway pressure during NHF and CPAP. Methods: Pressure was measured with miniature (750 µm) pressure probes (Millar, USA) in 10 (5M / 5F) healthy newborns with mean gestation age 37.18 (SD 1.29) wk and mean birth weight of 2414 (SD 503.13) g. NHF was applied at 8 L/min (AIRVO 2) through smaller (OPT 314) and larger (OPT 316) Optiflow nasal cannula; CPAP 5 cmH2O was produced by a Bubble CPAP system and nasal mask interface at constant flow 8 L/min (Fisher u0026 Paykel Healthcare, NZ). Data are presented as means and standard deviations. Results: Pressure did not change significantly in either left/right noses or when the mouth was open/close throughout the study. PEEP during NHF was 1.06 (SD 0.59) cmH2O with smaller and 1.84 (SD 0.83) cmH2O with larger cannula (p Conclusions: Open mouth did not lead to a reduction of pressure in upper airways during NHF/CPAP therapies and size of the NHF cannula may produce a minor effect on airway pressure. Dynamic component of pressure due to breathing is present during both NHF and CPAP therapies in neonates.