The master’s thesis by researcher Ahmed Khamas Mahdi, titled “The Effect of Protective Dressings on Reducing Nasal Injuries in Preterm Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” under the supervision of Assistant Professor Dr. Asmahan Qasim Muhammad.
The study primarily aimed to determine the effect of protective dressings on nasal injuries in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome in the neonatal intensive care unit, and to explore the relationship between these injuries and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, as well as to compare the incidence and severity of injuries between infants who received protective dressings and their peers who received routine care.
The study’s results and conclusions demonstrated the effectiveness of hydrocolloid nasal dressings in preventing, delaying, and reducing the severity of nasal injuries associated with noninvasive ventilation, and demonstrated the safety of this intervention without any adverse effects on the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or increased rates of ventilation failure, particularly among the highest-risk groups of extremely preterm infants and those with very low birth weight, with clear statistically significant differences in favor of the intervention group.
Based on the research findings, the study recommended that these dressings be incorporated into the established continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment protocols (CPAP) protocols adopted within medical institutions, and that nursing staff and caregivers receive comprehensive training on their optimal use in accordance with standard guidelines, in addition to encouraging future multicenter studies involving larger samples to generalize the findings. Following an extensive scientific discussion, the researcher’s efforts culminated in the thesis being awarded a distinction.
The findings of this study align with the Sustainable Development Goals that the College of Nursing at the University of Baghdad seeks to promote, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), through the development of preventive nursing care strategies for newborns and the reduction of treatment-related complications in intensive care units.
