CCRN Neonatal Practice Test

Maintaining a steady positive airway pressure to keep the lung units open is the essential idea here. Nasal CPAP delivers a continuous positive end-expiratory pressure through nasal prongs, which helps keep alveoli recruited, reduces work of breathing, and improves oxygenation in spontaneously breathing neonates. Because the pressure is continuous and easily titratable, it provides reliable, predictable support for mild-to-moderate respiratory distress without needing intubation, making it the standard initial noninvasive choice in many NICUs. Other options have their places in specific situations—high-flow can provide some PEEP but is less predictable in pressure delivery; nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation offers ventilator-driven breaths and is typically used when CPAP alone isn’t enough; bubble CPAP is a CPAP-based method that can be effective, but conventional nasal CPAP remains the most commonly used initial choice for mild-to-moderate distress.