Current bubble CPAP products available on the market enable respiratory therapists to deliver vital care to newborns and infants.
By Cassandra Perez
Bubble CPAP (bCPAP) is designed to provide a safe, protective, and effective method of respiratory support to spontaneously breathing neonates. Infants treated with bCPAP experience a number of health benefits, including decreased days on mechanical ventilation, reduced delivery room intubations, and increased postnatal weight gain. “The prompt initiation and diligent use of Bubble CPAP therapy has revealed profound outcomes for the neonatal population,” said Kevin Johnson, BS, RRT-NPS, clinical consultant, B&B Medical Technologies.
New developments in bubble CPAP technology enable respiratory therapists to consistently deliver vital care to newborn children and infants, and several current products on the market administer essential care and allow young children to receive the benefits of this type of ventilation therapy.
The WaterPAP, manufactured by Airways Development LLC, is a bubble CPAP respiratory medical device used to treat infants with hypoxia, apnea of prematurity, and respiratory distress syndrome. An economical option for respiratory therapists, this device is designed for a simple setup and features active bubbling, which is visible from a distance during use. The product also features a new bracket that holds the tube against the centimeter scale for improved visibility of tube depth.
According to Robert Landis, owner and founder of Airways Development LLC, WaterPAP was developed to assist therapists making their own bubble CPAP setups. “The goal was to produce a simple, straight forward, economical device that provided a consistent setup procedure for Respiratory Care managers,” Landis said.
The company plans to release a new version this year, the WaterPAP Pro, with an auto water level feature that eliminates the need for manual water level adjustments.
The Bubble CPAP System from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare is designed for use with spontaneously breathing infants requiring respiratory support. The complete system features a bubble CPAP generator, a pressure manifold for safety precaution, and heated breathing circuits calibrated for the system. The system incorporates these features as well as humidification technology to provide respiratory support that is effective and safe.
For ease of maintenance, this product is disposable and is intended for 7-day, single patient use. The Infant Interface complements the Bubble CPAP System and aims to provide comfort and optimal CPAP support to the at-risk infant using nasal prongs or nasal masks.
According to Dave Hendrickson, neonatal product manager, “The Fisher and Paykel Bubble CPAP system gives you confidence you are delivering the pressure you are setting. It is calibrated for the specific circuit it utilizes and has a water self-leveling mechanism leaving you confident the pressure won’t increase during use.” He adds, “Best of all, no interruptions in therapy when excess water needs to be discarded allows FRC to be maintained.”
Available from B&B Medical Technologies and launched in May 2014, the B&B Bubbler is a device recommended for spontaneous breathing and neonatal and infant patients who require respiratory support. The B&B Bubbler features an internal-drainable overflow chamber that limits fluid level within the optimal range, assuring the precise delivery of PEEP to the patient. An additional feature of this product is the dual-chambered wall, which allows the fluid level of the chamber to be observed without disrupting therapy.
“The B&B Bubbler was designed to be a more convenient, versatile device for the clinical community to deliver Bubble CPAP therapy,” said Stu Novitz, vice president of sales & marketing, B&B Medical Technologies. Novitz added that the company is presently in the research phase of adding other “sister” bubble CPAP components. “We believe that Bubble CPAP is a growing market that provides quality patient care while controlling costs,” he said.
RT
Cassandra Perez is the former associate editor of RT. For more information, contact [email protected].
