Headbox. Babies who rest with their mouths open may entrain room air diluting the supplemental oxygen concentration administered by NCPAP. For babies on NCPAP requiring >40% O₂, headbox O₂ may be used to augment the oxygen concentration in their environment. However, this therapy should be used selectively, by physician order only, and not routinely for babies on NCPAP.

Orogastric tube. An undesired side-effect of continuous distending pressure administered via NCPAP is gaseous distension of the stomach and GI tract. All babies on NCPAP should have an OG tube open to air to decompress the stomach while on NCPAP. A physician order is required to not place an OGT during NCPAP therapy.

Resolved at Nursery Policy & Procedure Meeting 6/21/00.