WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. Salah Hadi Salih*

ABSTRACT

Background: Continuous positive airway pressure is an important non-invasive respiratory support modality for pediatric patients with moderate to severe respiratory distress, especially in hospitals with limited access to intensive care and invasive ventilation. Objectives: To assess the clinical outcomes of pediatric patients requiring continuous positive airway pressure at Al Madaen General Hospital, Baghdad. Methods: A comparative observational study was conducted at Al Madaen General Hospital, Baghdad, from June 2025 to March 2026. The study included 163 pediatric patients with clinical indications for continuous positive airway pressure. Patients were divided into two groups: 83 patients received continuous positive airway pressure, while 80 patients were managed without it because of limited availability. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 31. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, and group comparisons were performed using the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 163 patients, 109 (66.9%) were males and 54 (33.1%) were females. Most patients were term infants or children, while only 3 (1.8%) were preterm. Clinical improvement was observed in 107 patients (65.6%), referral in 48 (29.6%), and death in 7 (4.3%). Improvement was significantly higher among patients who received continuous positive airway pressure compared with those managed without it (81.9% vs 49.4%, p < 0.001), while referral was lower in the treated group (10.8% vs 49.4%). Mortality was higher in the treated group (7.2% vs 1.3%). Hospital stay differed significantly between groups (p = 0.025), with prolonged stay more frequent among patients receiving continuous positive airway pressure. Conclusions: Continuous positive airway pressure use was associated with better clinical improvement and lower referral rates among pediatric patients requiring respiratory support. Wider availability of devices, consumables, standardized protocols, and staff training is recommended to improve pediatric respiratory care in resource-limited hospital settings.

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