Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or Synchronised intermittent positive airway pressure (SiPAP™) study

Failure of non-invasive ventilation necessitating intubation and mechanical ventilation (placement of a tube in the windpipe and full artificial breathing support via machine) in the first 72 hours of treatment with either CPAP or SiPAP™. This outcome is binary categoric as babies will be either 'intubated and mechanically ventilated' or not; providing a proportion of infants in each treatment arm who meet this outcome.

Assessed from the medical notes and nursing charts at discharge they all constitute usual care of preterm infants at these gestations, who are intensive care level patients and continuously monitored whilst receiving respiratory support. It is impossible to specify an exact timepoint for many of the outcomes as they can occur at any time for these infants, hence an assessment of the occurrence or not of the outcome on discharge by reviewing the case notes.

1. Death prior to discharge - at time of death
2. RDS severity grading - at randomisation
3. Reason for failure of non-invasive ventilation -at failure
4. Timing of failure of non-invasive ventilation - at failure
5. Total duration of any form of respiratory support - at discharge - review of notes
6. Duration of invasive mechanical ventilation - at discharge - review of notes
7. Duration of supplemental oxygen - at discharge - review of notes
8. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (diagnosis) - at 36 weeks gestation
9. Pneumothorax (diagnosis) - at discharge - review of notes
10. Postnatal steroid use - at discharge - review of notes
11. Necrotising enterocolitis diagnosis - at discharge - review of notes
12. Necrotising enterocolitis needing surgery - at discharge - review of notes
13. Gastric distension - assessed clinically 6-8 hourly whilst on non-invasive ventilation, outcome assessed at discharge - review of notes
14. Sepsis diagnosis - at discharge - review of notes
15. Nasal injuries - assessed clinically 6 - 8 hourly whilst on non-invasive ventilation, outcome assessed at discharge - review of notes
16. Nasal injuries - grading and treatment required, at discharge - review of notes
17. Retinopathy of prematurity - greater than grading and treatment (surgery), at discharge - review of notes
18. Patent ductus arteriosus - greater than treatment required, at discharge - review of notes
19. Abnormal cranial ultrasound scan - report worst scan for grading, at discharge - review of notes
20. Cranial abnormalities periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) or intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) - at discharge - review of notes
21. Time to full enteral feeds - in days to reach 150 ml/kg/day, at discharge - review of notes
22. Change in weight from birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age - Z scores, at discharge - review of notes
23. Change in weight from birth to discharge - Z scores at discharge - review of notes
24. Length of hospital stay - at discharge - review of notes
25. Duration of intensive and high dependency care - at discharge - review of notes