Abstract
Helium is an inert gas with a very low density (0.18 g/L), which allows it to pass through narrowed passages with less turbulence than nitrogen or oxygen. For many years, helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) has been used for patients with severe airway obstruction. However, the data supporting the clinical application of heliox are few and clearly nondefinitive. This article reviews the medical literature on whether heliox should be used for mechanically ventilated patients. No definitive randomized studies have attempted to answer this question. Studies both support and contest the benefit of heliox during mechanical ventilation. Most studies agree that heliox is extremely safe; no adverse effects have been reported. However, heliox must be administered with vigilance and continuous monitoring to avoid technical complications. As is the case with all therapies that have not been definitively studied, the risk/benefit ratio for an individual patient must be assessed by the clinical care team.
- heliox
- oxygen
- helium
- mechanical ventilation
- asthma
- ventilation
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- bronchodilator
- airway obstruction
- resistance
Footnotes
- Correspondence: William E Hurford MD, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, PO Box 670531, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati OH 45267–0531. E-mail: william.hurford{at}uc.edu.
William E Hurford MD and Ira M Cheifetz MD FAARC presented a version of this paper at the 38th RESPIRATORY CARE Journal Conference, “Respiratory Controversies in the Critical Care Setting,” held October 6–8, 2006, in Banff, Alberta, Canada.
- Copyright © 2007 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
