Frontiers in Medicine (Feb 2022)

High-Flow vs. Low-Flow Nasal Cannula in Reducing Hypoxemic Events During Bronchoscopic Procedures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Fotios Sampsonas,
  • Vasileios Karamouzos,
  • Theodoros Karampitsakos,
  • Ourania Papaioannou,
  • Matthaios Katsaras,
  • Maria Lagadinou,
  • Eirini Zarkadi,
  • Elli Malakounidou,
  • Dimitrios Velissaris,
  • Grigorios Stratakos,
  • Argyrios Tzouvelekis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.815799
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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IntroductionHigh-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygenation method has been proven to be successful in oxygenation of patients with respiratory failure and has exhibited clinical superiority compared to low-flow nasal cannula (LFNC).MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the potential favorable impact of HFNC oxygenation during bronchoscopy and related procedures like endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration. Only randomized control trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis.ResultsSix randomized control trials with 1,170 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Patients who underwent bronchoscopy with the use of high-flow nasal cannula experienced less hypoxemic events/desaturations, less procedural interruptions and pneumothoraxes compared to patients under low-flow nasal cannula treatment. This beneficial effect of HFNC in hypoxemic events was persistent 10 min after the end of procedure.ConclusionThe high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygenation method could reduce hypoxemic events and related peri- and post-bronchoscopic complications.

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