Groundbreaking Pilot Study Co-Funded by BU CTSI to Shape Future Acute C Syndrom Intervention Trial

SNAP: Supportive Noninvasive Ventilation for Acute Chest Syndrome Prevention in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Meet Dr. Robyn Cohen and her team at Boston Medical Center who are pioneering an innovative approach to prevent acute chest syndrome (ACS) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) through the use of SNAP (Supportive Noninvasive Ventilation).

The team conducted interviews with 34 participants at 3 institutions to explore what patients, parents, and inpatient health care team members think about the novel use of bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) ventilation on general pediatric inpatient unit to prevent ACS and respiratory decompensation in medically stable patients with sickle cell disease.

The study indicates that there was strong agreement that BiPAP is perceived as effective by patients, parents, and healthcare providers. Using BiPAP as preventive care among stable patients with sickle cell disease is also felt to be appropriate on a general pediatrics unit and does not require transfer to the ICU (unless the patient’s clinical status requires a higher level of care). The main challenge remains improving patient comfort with BiPAP use.

This pilot study, co-funded with the BU CTSI, will be crucial in shaping a comprehensive hybrid intervention trial. This research sets the stage for a multicenter trial that could transform ACS prevention, enhancing care for children with SCD across various healthcare settings. Read more about this study