Nasal continuous positive airway pressure with RAM cannula versus nasal mask in reducing the need for invasive mechanical ventilation in preterm neonates

Following thesis is on comparing nasal interface RAM cannula and nasal mask for application of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in preterm neonates less than 34 weeks of gestation with respiratory distress within 6 hours of life. nCPAP is a type of non invasive ventilation. Both these interfaces are currently in use in our institute in neonatal intensive care unit. This thesis is about comparing both the interfaces about their failure rate and neonantes requiring invasive mechanical ventilation as primary objective and secondary objective is incidence of nasal trauma in both the interfaces. Inclusion criteria will be all inborn neonates with gestation age less than 34 weeks having respiratory distress syndrome within 6 hours of life. Each neonate will be given nCPAP via RAM cannula or nasal mask and will be followed for 72 hours of life. Exclusion criteria will be major congenital malformations, including chromosomal anomalies, which interfere with respiration or putting the newborn on nCPAP and severe perinatal birth asphyxia with 5 min Apgar score less than 3.