A Special Helmet to Deliver Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Infants

In a small study, 70% of infants with acute respiratory distress stabilized or improved after 2 hours of helmet CPAP.

For logistical reasons, noninvasive ventilation is particularly difficult to achieve in infants. In a prospective observational study, researchers assessed the feasibility of using a specially designed helmet to deliver continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) at 6 cm H₂O in 23 consecutive infants (age range, 2–8 months) with acute respiratory distress in a pediatric intensive care unit in France.

Helmet CPAP failed in two infants (9%) who had severe laryngeal stridor and required intubation. Sixteen infants (70%) stabilized or improved after 2 hours of helmet CPAP. Scores on a 0- to 15-point newborn pain and discomfort scale stabilized or improved in 96% of infants (median scores improved from 4 at baseline to 2 after helmet use). Pressur…

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices