Improvised bubble continuous positive airway pressure ventilation use in neonates in resource-limited settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: In the face of limited fiscal and technical resources, improvised methods have been used to provide effective and sustainable ventilatory support in low-resource settings to reduce neonatal mortality associated with respiratory complications. This study assessed the use of improvised bubble continuous positive airway pressure (ibCPAP) ventilation among neonates with respiratory complications and determined its effect on neonatal outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Content: Hospital-based studies conducted between 2010 and 2020 in LMICs were reviewed. Rayyan software for systematic review was used for screening and article selection. We used Stata Statacorp Texas USA software to estimate pooled prevalence, proportion estimates, weighted mean differences and 95% Confidence Interval (CI), using the random effects model.

Summary: A total of 193 articles were generated and 125 were reviewed. Thirteen articles with 806 neonates on ibCPAP ventilation were included. The pooled prevalence of ibCPAP use was 7.0% (95% CI: 3.0%-13.0%). There was a significant difference in mean oxygen saturation before and after ibCPAP use (-1.34% [95% CI: -1.65% to -1.02%, p<0.01). The duration of oxygen requirement among neonates on ibCPAP was 6.5 hours less than controls (0.27 days [95%CI: -0.49 to -0.05, p<0.01).

Outlook: IbCPAP had no effect on the respiratory rate, duration of admission, mortality and survival. IbCPAP use in LMIC hospitals is low and its use improved oxygen saturation and duration on oxygen among the neonates, but had no impact on length of stay, respiratory rate, mortality or survival.