Tidal volume delivery during nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation: infant cannula vs. nasal continuous positive airway pressure prongs.

Objective: To measure tidal volume delivery during nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation with two nasal interfaces: infant cannula and nasal prongs.

Study Design: A single-center crossover study of neonates with mild respiratory distress. Fifteen preterm neonates were randomized to initial interface of infant cannula or nasal prongs and monitored on a sequence of pressure settings first on the initial interface, then repeated on the alternate interface. We compared relative tidal volumes between the two interfaces with two-way repeated measures ANOVA during three breath types: synchronized (I), patient effort without ventilator breaths (II), and ventilator breaths without patient effort (III). Clinical trial #NCT04326270.

Results: Type III breaths delivered no significant tidal volume. No significant difference was measured in relative tidal volume delivery between the interfaces when breath types were matched.

Conclusions: Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation delivers neither clinically nor statistically significant tidal volume with either infant cannula or nasal prongs.