Abstract:Objective To analyze the therapeutic efficacy of caffeine combined with high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).Methods Ninety-eight children with NRDS admitted to our hospital from March 2020 to June 2023 were prospectively selected, and were divided into the control group and the study group by the random number table method, with 49 cases in each group. The control group was given high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, and the study group was additionally given caffeine citrate therapy. The effects were observed after 7 days of treatment. The duration of noninvasive ventilation, overall duration of oxygen therapy, frequency of apnea, blood gas indicators, respiratory mechanics measurements, clinical efficacy, inflammatory factors and complications were compared between the two groups.Results The duration of noninvasive ventilation and the overall duration of oxygen therapy were shorter, and the frequency of apnea was lower in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The comparison of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in the two groups before and 3 d and 7 d after treatment showed that they were different among the time points (F = 7.961 and 8.038, both P = 0.000) and between the two groups (F = 7.958 and 6.987, both P = 0.000), and that the change trends of them were different between the two groups (F = 8.057 and 8.136, both P = 0.000). The comparison of airway resistance and intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure in the two groups before and 3 d and 7 d after treatment revealed that they were different among the time points (F = 7.854 and 8.126, both P = 0.000) and between the two groups (F = 8.236 and 7.958, both P = 0.000), and that the change trends of them were also different between the two groups (F = 7.968 and 8.027, both P = 0.000). The overall effective rate of the study group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The differences of the levels of bone morphogenetic protein-7, Clara cell secretory protein 16, tumor necrosis factor-α and C-reactive protein before and after treatment in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of complications between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion Caffeine combined with high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy is effective in treating NRDS by improving blood gas indicators and respiratory mechanics measurements and inhibiting the inflammatory response, and is considered safe and reliable.