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Noninvasive therapy with helium-oxygen for severe bronchiolitis
Jean-Michel Liet1, Beatrice Millotte, Marisa Tucci
1Service de Réanimation Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France. jeanmichel@chu-nantes.fr
The Journal of Pediatrics
|December 17, 2005
Summary
Helium-oxygen therapy did not reduce the need for positive-pressure ventilation in infants with severe bronchiolitis. This study found no significant difference in ventilation rates between helium and air-oxygen groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Respiratory physiology
- Neonatal respiratory distress
Background:
- Severe bronchiolitis in infants often necessitates respiratory support.
- Positive-pressure ventilation is a common intervention for respiratory failure.
- Noninvasive therapies are explored to mitigate the need for mechanical ventilation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if helium-oxygen mixture therapy can decrease positive-pressure ventilation use.
- To evaluate the efficacy of noninvasive helium-oxygen in treating severe bronchiolitis-induced respiratory failure.
Main Methods:
- Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
- 39 nonintubated infants with severe RSV bronchiolitis were enrolled.
- Infants received either helium-oxygen or air-oxygen mixture via head hood.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the need for positive-pressure ventilation between groups.
- Ventilation was required for 19.0% of control infants and 22.2% of helium-exposed infants.
- No demographic or clinical differences were noted between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Helium-oxygen therapy did not demonstrate a reduction in positive-pressure ventilation rates.
- The study did not find a significant benefit of helium-oxygen mixture over air-oxygen for severe bronchiolitis.