Mechanisms of action for T-piece resuscitation
The T-piece connects to a face mask or other interface to deliver a flow regulated, pressure limited gas supply to the infant, enabling application of controlled initial inflation breaths.
Compared to other types of resuscitators such as self-inflating bags and flow-inflating bags, T-piece resuscitators provide consistent and controlled pressures independent of operator experience.1,2 For this reason, current international resuscitation guidelines by ILCOR, NRP and ANZCOR recommend the use of a T-piece resuscitator when a gas source is available.3-5 Providing consistent and controlled pressures with a T-piece resuscitator offers a range of benefits to neonates and infants.
Humidified T-piece resuscitation is a method of delivering warm, humidified gas to an infant during resuscitation, and may help to increase the incidence of normothermia on admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), compared to using cold and dry gas.6,7 T-piece resuscitation provides a range of benefits that are associated with the safety and efficacy of resuscitation therapy.