Abstract
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, led to a pandemic of acute respiratory illness that is ongoing. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a commonly used form of respiratory support during acute respiratory distress and is used to treat patients with COVID-19 in many centers. Due to the novel nature of COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic, evidence to support the use and best practices of HFNC for treating patients with COVID-19 was lacking. This is a review of key peer-reviewed manuscripts from 2022–2023 discussing the efficacy and best practices for using HFNC for patients with COVID-19. Efficacy of HFNC for COVID-19, the use of the respiratory oxygenation index to guide HFNC for COVID-19, and concerns of generated/fugitive aerosols when using HFNC for COVID-19 are emphasized.
- COVID-19
- SARS-CoV-2
- high-flow nasal cannula
- HFNC
- respiratory oxygenation index
- ROX
- fugitive aerosols
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Michael D Davis PhD RRT FAARC. E-mail: mdd1{at}iu.edu
Dr Davis is a patent holder of Optate and also a co-founder of both Airbase Breathing Company and Partner Liberia.
Dr Davis is funded by NHLBI 1 P01 HL158507, NHLBI R01 HL149693, and NHLBI R01 HL177812.
A version of this paper was presented by Dr Davis at the Year in Review Symposium at AARC Congress 2023, held November 5–8, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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