The BCPAP Score: Five Questions to Assess the Effectiveness of a Bubble CPAP Circuit.

Respiratory illnesses are a leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Bubble CPAP is a simple and effective treatment for infants in respiratory distress. Across resource-limited settings, various bubble CPAP setups have been used with widely varying results. Based on fundamental fluid dynamics principles and clinical experience, the BCPAP score has been developed to gauge effectiveness of bubble CPAP delivery in different settings. Five questions addressing Bubbles, Circuit, Prongs, Airway and Pressure allow clinicians to rapidly determine whether they are delivering effective bubble CPAP. This article describes how to calculate a BCPAP score and explains the rationale behind the BCPAP score.