Our group contributed to a discussion in the April 16th blog post by Rayah Aloush on Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.
As you stated, this is very valuable information for a respiratory therapist to be aware of. Although the therapies we utilize are life-saving for these infants, it is unfortunate that they also cause harm and can lead to BPD. That is why we need to use these therapies judiciously and only when indicated. In research I found, it was proposed that nasal CPAP can also reduce the incidence of BPD. The idea behind it was that it prevents intubation and the negative side effects associated with invasive mechanical ventilation. I also read that if the infant must be invasively mechanically ventilated, volume control is the best mode to prevent BPD. Hopefully in time continuing research will provide us with a more definitive way to prevent BPD.
1. Fischer HS, Buhrer C. Avoiding endotracheal ventilation to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2013;132(5):e1351-60.
Lauren Harnois, Alex Muller, Anna Kuruc, Urvinder Kaur
Source: The Role of the Respiratory Therapist in Preventing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Respiratory Care 