Infant Nasal Bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Resource-Limited Settings

Abstract

Respiratory disease, including pneumonia, is the leading cause of mortality in the developing world for children under 5 years of age [1]. Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines address pneumonia by focusing on clinical diagnosis, empirical antibiotic treatment, and oxygen therapy for children who are either hypoxemic or demonstrate clinical signs of respiratory distress [2]. Neither IMCI guidelines nor the World Health Organization’s Hospital Care for Children discusses advanced ventilatory strategies [3]. Thus, evidence supporting the use of noninvasive or invasive ventilation in resource-constrained settings is limited.