High-Flow nasal cannula treatment in patients with COVID-19 acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: A prospective cohort study

• Published in: Saudi journal of medicine & medical sciences 2021-09, Vol.9 (3), p.215-222
• Main Authors: Alshahrani, Mohammed, Alshaqaq, Hassan, Alhumaid, Jehan, Binammar, Ammar, AlSalem, Khalid, Alghamdi, Abdulazez, Abdulhady, Ahmed, Yehia, Moamen, AlSulaibikh, Amal, Al Jumaan, Mohammed, Albuli, Waleed, Ibrahim, Talal, Yousef, Abdullah, Almubarak, Yousef, Alhazzani, Waleed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acute hypoxemic respiratory failure; Analysis; Care and treatment; covid-19; endotracheal intubation; high-flow nasal cannula; Original; oxygen therapy; Respiratory insufficiency; sars-cov-2
• ISSN: 1658-631X; 2321-4856
• DOI: 10.4103/sjmms.sjmms_316_21

Background: Early use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) decreases the need for endotracheal intubation (EI) in different respiratory failure causes. While HFNC is used in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) under weak recommendations, its efficacy remains to be investigated. Objectives: The primary objective was to examine HFNC efficacy in preventing EI among COVID-19 patients with AHRF. Secondary objectives were to determine predictors of HFNC success/failure, mortality rate, and length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Patients and Methods: This is a prospective cohort study conducted at a single tertiary care centre in Saudi Arabia from April to August 2020. Adult patients admitted to the ICU with AHRF secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia and managed with HFNC were included. We excluded patients who were intubated or managed with non-invasive ventilation before HFNC. Results: Forty-four patients received HFNC for a median duration of 3 days (interquartile range, 1-5 days). The mean age was 57 ± 14 years, and 86% were men. HFNC failure and EI occurred in 29 (66%) patients. Patients in whom HNFC treatment failed had a higher risk of death (52% versus 0%; P = 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, a high SOFA score and a low ROX index were significantly associated with HFNC failure (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.93; P = 0.025; and HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.42-0.88; P = 0.008, respectively). Conclusions: One-third of hypoxemic COVID-19 patients who received HFNC did not require intubation. High SOFA score and low ROX index were associated with HFNC failure.