High-Flow Nasal Cannula: A Promising Oxygen Therapy for Patients with Severe Bronchial Asthma Complicated with Respiratory Failure

Abstract

Severe bronchial asthma complicated with respiratory failure, a common critical illness in respiratory medicine, may be life-threatening. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a novel oxygen therapy technique developed in recent years. HFNC was applied in this study for treating adult patients with severe bronchial asthma complicated with respiratory failure. Its efficacy was analyzed comparatively to conventional oxygen therapy (COT). HFNC and COT were randomly performed based on conventional treatment. The HFNC group was similar to COT-treated patients in terms of response rate, with no significant difference in efficacy between the two groups. In patients with bronchial asthma, effectively increased PO2 and reduced PCO2 were observed after treatment in both groups. However, HFNC was more efficient than COT in elevating PO2 in patients with severe bronchial asthma complicated with respiratory failure, while no statistically significant difference in PCO2 reduction was found between the two groups. Heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) between the two groups on admission (0 h) and at 2, 8, 24, and 48 h after admission were compared. Both indicators significantly decreased with time. No significant differences in HR and RR were found between the groups at 0, 2, and 8 h after admission. However, these indicators were significantly lower in the HFNC group compared with the COT group at 24 and 48 h after admission. HFNC could significantly elevate PO2 and reduce HR and RR. Thus, it is a promising option for patients with severe bronchial asthma complicated with respiratory failure.