Neonatal nasal deformities secondary to nasal continuous positive airway pressure.

Abstract

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is being used more frequently in neonatal intensive care units to avoid endotracheal intubation and its attendant complications. Nasal deformities secondary to the nares-occluding prongs employed to deliver the CPAP in former preterm infants have been recognized, and prevention and surgical treatment of these deformities are discussed. An awareness of the potential for these deformities is important to all pediatric otolaryngologists as nasal CPAP is gaining increasing favor as a primary treatment for respiratory disease of the newborn.