Clinical efficacy of high-flow nasal humidified oxygen therapy in patients with hypoxemia

To evaluate the effectiveness of high-flow nasal humidified oxygen (HFNHO) therapy in patients with mild hypoxemia after extubation. This study included 316 patients with mild hypoxemia after extubation from May 2016 to May 2018 from two intensive care units in China. Compare the effects of the Venturi Mask and High-Flow Nasal Humidified Oxygen (HFNHO) therapy on Heart Rate (HR), Respiratory Rate (RR), Oxygen Saturation (SpO(2)), Oxygen Partial Pressure (PO(2)), Partial Pressure Of Carbon Dioxide (PCO(2)), Oxygenation Index (PO(2)/FiO(2)) after extubation, the use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation and tracheal intubation after treatment failure were observed and recorded. Patients have both lower HR and RR than those who received mask treatment (75.4±18.5 vs. 83.0±20.4, p = 0.0004; 18±6.5 vs. 23.6±10.3, p<0.001, respectively). There was significant difference between those who had HFNHO and mask administration’s SpO(2) and PO(2) (94.1±6.4 vs. 87.5±1.5, p<0.001; 88.16±2.9 vs. 77.3±2.3, p<0.001, respectively). For the HFNHO group, patients had lower PCO(2) with the mask group. (41.3±0.99 vs 42.2±1.2, p<0.001). On the other hand, the levels of PO(2)/FiO(2) was significantly higher in the HFNHO Group, (181.0±8.3 vs. 157.2±4.9, p<0.05). We concluded HFNHO therapy could significantly relieve the symptoms of dyspnea, improve oxygenation, reduce the use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation and reduce the rate of secondary tracheal intubation in patients with mild hypoxemia after extubation.