Application of high-flow oxygen therapy in acute pancreatitis complicated with acute respiratory dysfunction

BACKGROUND/AIM: To reveal the potential efficiency of high-flow oxygen therapy in acute pancreatitis complicated with acute respiratory dysfunction compared with conventional oxygen therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 69 patients treated with high-flow oxygen or conventional oxygen therapy, then compared the difference of prime and second outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: The high-flow oxygen group had lower intubation rate (25.6% vs. 56.7%, p = 0.013) and longer median time to intubation (64.25 h vs. 7.75 h, p < 0.001) compared with the conventional oxygen group. High-flow oxygen had a stronger effect on improving dyspnea (87.2% vs. 56.7%, p = 0.006) and regression of respiratory failure (66.7% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.001). In the univariate and multivariate analyses, high-flow oxygen and APACHE II score were independent predict factors to respiratory failure regression (OR = 20.381, p = 0.038; OR = 36.827, p = 0.026). Patients treated with high-flow oxygen had shorter intensive care unit stay length (19.5 ± 13.4 vs. 7.8 ± 4.7, p = 0.009) and early mortality tended to be significantly lower (17.9% vs. 40.0%, p = 0.058). CONCLUSION: High-flow oxygen is a more effective method for acute pancreatitis complicated with acute respiratory dysfunction than conventional oxygen therapy.