Feasibility and Acceptability Followed by Effectiveness of Bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (bCPAP) for Treatment of Children Aged 1-59 Months With Severe Pneumonia in Ethiopia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Feasibility and acceptability followed by effectiveness of bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) were not evaluated in childhood severe pneumonia in developing countries at a larger scale.

Objectives: Stages I and II To assess the feasibility and acceptability (not only by patients' care-givers but also by physicians and nurses) of bubble CPAP in treating childhood severe pneumonia in two tertiary hospitals in Stage I and in two district hospitals in Stage II To record adverse events following use of bubble CPAP in these settings To understand how much resource and time are needed to institutionalize and maintain bubble CPAP as a routine practice in the health system Stage III: To determine therapeutic efficacy/effectiveness of bubble CPAP compared to WHO standard low flow oxygen in reducing treatment failure in children admitted to hospitals with severe pneumonia and hypoxemia To determine therapeutic effectiveness of bubble CPAP compared to WHO standard low flow oxygen in reducing treatment failure & mortality in children aged 1-12 months admitted to hospitals with severe pneumonia and hypoxemia To record adverse events (pneumothorax, abdominal distension, nasal trauma, aspiration pneumonia) encountered.