The potential of non-invasive ventilation to decrease BPD

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the most common chronic lung disease in infancy, has serious long-term pulmonary and neurodevelopmental consequences right up to adulthood, and is associated with significant healthcare costs. BPD is a multifactorial disease, with genetic and environmental factors interacting to culminate in the characteristic clinical and pathological phenotype. Among the environmental factors, invasive endotracheal tube ventilation is considered a critical contributing factor to the pathogenesis of BPD. Since BPD currently has no specific preventive or effective therapy, considerable interest has focused on the use of non-invasive ventilation as a means to potentially decrease the incidence of BPD. This article reviews the progress made in the last 5 years in the use of nasal continuous positive airways pressure (NCPAP) and nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) as it pertains to impacting on BPD rates. Research efforts are summarized, and some guidelines are suggested for clinical use of these techniques in neonates.