High flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy in patients with asthmatic crisis in the pediatric emergency department.

INTRODUCTION

There are few conclusive studies on the usefulness of High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) Oxygen Therapy in patients with asthmatic crises.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of HFNC in chil dren older than 2 years of age that present severe and moderate asthmatic crises that do not respond to initial treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Open controlled randomized clinical trial of patients with asthma exacerbation in the Pediatric Emergency Department. Infection- and comorbidity-media ted crises were excluded. Subjects were randomized as follows: Group 1 HFNC (n:32) and Group 2 Conventional Oxygen Therapy (n:33). Both groups received the usual pharmacological treatment. The first cut-off point was the decrease of more than 2 points of the PIS after 2 hours of treatment; secondary points were PIS decrease at 6 hours, stay time in the Emergency Room, and PICU admis sion.

RESULTS

The patient's baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. The proportion of subjects with more than two points decrease in the PIS after two hours of treatment in Group 1 was 43.7% CI 95% (28-60) vs. Group 2 48.4%; CI 95% (32-64) p 0.447. The mean stay time was 24.8 ± 12.3 hours in Group 1 vs. 24 ± 14.8 hours in Group 2; CI 95% (7.56-5.96) p 0.37. We did not find differences in the respiratory effort score measurements every 2 hours. No patients were admitted to intensive care.

CONCLUSIONS

The incorporation of HFNC oxygen therapy in the treatment of patients with asthmatic crises in the Pediatric Emergency Department did not show clinical benefits nor did it diminish the stay time.