Skip to main content
 

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Editor's Commentary
    • Archives
    • Most-Read Papers of 2022
  • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit a Manuscript
  • Reviewers
    • Reviewer Information
    • Create Reviewer Account
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Original Research
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Reviews
    • Appreciation of Reviewers
  • CRCE
    • Through the Journal
    • JournalCasts
    • AARC University
    • PowerPoint Template
  • Open Forum
    • 2023 Call for Abstracts
    • 2022 Abstracts
    • Previous Open Forums
  • Podcast
    • English
    • Español
    • Portugûes
    • 国语
  • Videos
    • Video Abstracts
    • Author Interviews
    • Highlighted Articles
    • The Journal

User menu

  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Association for Respiratory Care
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
American Association for Respiratory Care

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Editor's Commentary
    • Archives
    • Most-Read Papers of 2022
  • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit a Manuscript
  • Reviewers
    • Reviewer Information
    • Create Reviewer Account
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Original Research
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Reviews
    • Appreciation of Reviewers
  • CRCE
    • Through the Journal
    • JournalCasts
    • AARC University
    • PowerPoint Template
  • Open Forum
    • 2023 Call for Abstracts
    • 2022 Abstracts
    • Previous Open Forums
  • Podcast
    • English
    • Español
    • Portugûes
    • 国语
  • Videos
    • Video Abstracts
    • Author Interviews
    • Highlighted Articles
    • The Journal
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
Research ArticleOriginal Contributions

Efficacy of a Heated Passover Humidifier During Noninvasive Ventilation: A Bench Study

Anne E Holland, Linda Denehy, Catherine A Buchan and John W Wilson
Respiratory Care January 2007, 52 (1) 38-44;
Anne E Holland
School of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University,
Department of Physiotherapy, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Linda Denehy
School of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Catherine A Buchan
Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
John W Wilson
Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) delivers air at a high flow, which is associated with airway mucosal drying and impaired airway functioning.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of mechanical ventilation parameters on relative humidity and absolute humidity during NPPV, and to evaluate the effect of a heated passover humidifier on relative humidity, absolute humidity, and ventilator performance during NPPV.

METHODS: We performed a bench study to assess the effects of inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP) of 10 cm H2O, 15 cm H2O, and 20 cm H2O, respiratory rates of 12 breaths/min and 24 breaths/min, and inspiratory-expiratory ratios of 1:2 and 1:3 on relative and absolute humidity. The measurements were obtained on room air and with a heated humidifier at medium and maximum heater settings.

RESULTS: Without humidification, the relative humidity in the NPPV circuit (range 16.3–26.5%) was substantially lower than the ambient relative humidity (27.6–31.5%) at all ventilatory settings. Increasing the IPAP decreased the relative humidity (Spearman's rho = 0.67, p < 0.001). Changing the respiratory rate or inspiratory-expiratory ratio had no significant effect. Both relative and absolute humidity increased with humidification, and the air was fully saturated at the maximum heater setting. Delivered IPAP was reduced by 0.5–1 cm H2O during humidification.

CONCLUSIONS: NPPV delivers air with a low relative humidity, especially with high inspiratory pressure. Addition of a heated humidifier increases the relative and absolute humidity to levels acceptable for nonintubated patients, with minimal effect on delivered pressure. Consideration should be given to heated humidification during NPPV, especially when airway drying and secretion retention are of concern.

  • mechanical ventilation
  • humidification
  • humidity
  • noninvasive ventilation

Footnotes

  • Correspondence: Anne E Holland PhD, Physiotherapy Department, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia. E-mail: a.holland{at}alfred.org.au.
  • Anne E Holland PhD presented a version of this paper at the 2005 meeting of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society, held in Crete in June 2005, and at the 8th National Cardiothoracic Group Conference of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, held in Brisbane, Australia, in September 2003.

  • Copyright © 2007 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Respiratory Care: 52 (1)
Respiratory Care
Vol. 52, Issue 1
1 Jan 2007
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Cover (PDF)
  • Index by author

 

Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Association for Respiratory Care.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Efficacy of a Heated Passover Humidifier During Noninvasive Ventilation: A Bench Study
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Association for Respiratory Care
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Association for Respiratory Care web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Efficacy of a Heated Passover Humidifier During Noninvasive Ventilation: A Bench Study
Anne E Holland, Linda Denehy, Catherine A Buchan, John W Wilson
Respiratory Care Jan 2007, 52 (1) 38-44;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Efficacy of a Heated Passover Humidifier During Noninvasive Ventilation: A Bench Study
Anne E Holland, Linda Denehy, Catherine A Buchan, John W Wilson
Respiratory Care Jan 2007, 52 (1) 38-44;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

Keywords

  • mechanical ventilation
  • humidification
  • humidity
  • noninvasive ventilation

Info For

  • Subscribers
  • Institutions
  • Advertisers

About Us

  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Board

AARC

  • Membership
  • Meetings
  • Clinical Practice Guidelines

More

  • Contact Us
  • RSS
American Association for Respiratory Care

Print ISSN: 0020-1324        Online ISSN: 1943-3654

© Daedalus Enterprises, Inc.

Powered by HighWire