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Objective: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been shown to reduce the need for mechanical ventilation (MV) and to decrease hospital and ICU days for patients with severe respiratory compromise. HFNC has not been evaluated in trauma patients, thus the goal of this study is to describe the use of HFNC in a chest-injured population., Methods: A retrospective study examined trauma patients with moderate to severe thoracic injury admitted to the ICU at a tertiary hospital between March 2012 and August 2015. HFNC was delivered by the Fisher & Paykel Optiflow system. Primary outcomes were the need for intubation after HFNC for respiratory failure, length of hospitalization, and mortality., Results: During the study period, 105 patients with blunt chest trauma were admitted to the ICU and received HFNC therapy. Eighteen percent received MV prior to HFNC. Overall, 69% of patients who received HFNC never received MV, and 92% of patients were discharged alive. The intubation rate for respiratory failure after HFNC was 18%. For patients who did not receive MV prior to HFNC, delay to first HFNC was correlated with increased hospital days ( r s = 0.41, p = 0.001) and ICU days ( r s = 0.41, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Study results suggest that HFNC is comparable with other methods of noninvasive ventilation and may be beneficial for patients with thoracic injury. Additional investigation is warranted to determine if early use of HFNC can deliver effective respiratory support and prevent intubation in this population.

Background: Humidified, high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) enables mucociliary clearance, accurate oxygen measurement, precise control of flow, and low-level positive airway pressure. There is sparse information concerning the timing of HFNC on patient outcomes such as incidence of adverse events during hospitalization, ICU stay, and post-ICU stay., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of a heterogeneous population of medical and trauma ICU patients who received HFNC therapy in a critical care setting. The study sample included 145 subjects who were admitted to the ICU and received HFNC therapy between March 2012 and February 2014. HFNC was delivered by the Fisher & Paykel Optiflow system., Results: Of the 145 subjects who received HFNC, 35 (24.1%) received mechanical ventilation before HFNC, 21 (14.5%) received mechanical ventilation after HFNC, and 89 (61.3%) never received mechanical ventilation. Delay to first HFNC was moderately associated with unplanned ICU admission and was strongly correlated with the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Subjects with a greater length of time between ICU admission and first use of HFNC experienced significantly longer stays in the ICU and post-ICU periods, even after controlling for adverse events and mechanical ventilation., Conclusions: Study results provide preliminary evidence that early use of HFNC is beneficial in a medical and trauma ICU population, as it was associated with decreased ICU and post-ICU lengths of stay and reduced incidence of adverse events. This suggests that HFNC should be considered early in the ICU as first-line oxygen therapy., (Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.)