High-flow Oxygen Therapy For Respiratory Failure In COVID-19 Is Being Tested In Pirogovka

High-flow oxygen therapy for respiratory failure in COVID-19 is being tested in Pirogovka

Doctors used this treatment as "an intermediate option between a high concentration mask and tracheal intubation." The unequivocal value of this method in viral pandemics in the medical community has not yet been identified and it remains the subject of discussion

Photo: Hamilton Medical / YouTube

Specialists of the National Medical and Surgical Center named after N.I. Pirogov, they began to use the HFNOT technology, high-flow oxygen therapy through nasal cannulas. This was announced on his Facebook page by the head of the anesthesiology-intensive care unit of the Center, Boris Teplykh. He noted that oxygen therapy is used "as an intermediate option between a high concentration mask and tracheal intubation."

“There are conflicting recommendations, there is no evidence base, neither for nor against, you will have to rely on your own experience,” says the doctor.

High-flow nasal oxygen therapy HFNOT is a non-invasive respiratory support method in which a humidified and heated gas mixture is delivered to the airways through nasal cannulas at a flow rate of up to 60 L / min. High flow rates reduce dead space by flushing carbon dioxide out of the nasopharynx and create positive airway pressure. It is used for acute respiratory failure.

In 2015, WHO included oxygen therapy technology in its clinical guidelines for the management of suspected Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) infection.

The technology was also used for patients with severe respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 in Chongqing hospitals from January 1 to March 4. Chinese doctors highly appreciate this method of non-invasive respiratory support, but admit that their experience is insufficient to draw conclusions about its effectiveness.