Macclesfield District General Hospital - Neopuff Infant Resuscitator

UPDATE: This equipment was delivered in 2005.

This specially designed resuscitator performs a vital function in supporting the breathing of very sick and pre-term babies requiring special care. It is adaptable to each individual baby, and can provide significant health benefits.

The special care baby unit at Macclesfield handles about 200 babies each year. At present, the unit has four Neopuffs. At present, if there is a shortage of equipment, staff use a bag and mask system when a baby needs resuscitation. However, there are risks associated with this method, due to under or over inflation at controlled pressures.

The community team will use three of the resuscitators requested. This allows nurses to resuscitate babies in their homes rather than wait for an ambulance. It is rare that this situation arises, but when it does this equipment saves lives.

This equipment is compatible with that used in the regional specialists hospitals. Staff are already trained in the use of this equipment, and have found it to be hugely effective in reducing clinical problems.

The main benefit to the child is an increase in safety by delivering a constantly monitored oxygen flow. The oxygen levels can be adjusted to meet the needs of an individual child, and this limits the risks associated with under of over inflation of the lungs.

This will allow the ward to meet the standards set by the regional centres of excellence, thus reducing the need for transfer to hospitals some distance away.

This item costs £560. The ward requires four Neopuffs in total, at a cost of £2,304.