High-Flow Nasal Cannula Use Outside of the ICU Setting

To describe the practice of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) use in the pediatric ward setting across North America.

A survey was distributed through the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings Network, which represents 114 hospital sites. Questions included indication for HFNC use, flow and oxygen parameters, guideline availability, and use of outcomes measures.

There was a response rate of 68% to the survey from sites representing all regions from the United States. Thirty-seven sites (48%) used HFNC in the pediatric ward setting. All 37 sites used HFNC for patients with bronchiolitis. All children's hospital sites providing HFNC on the wards had an on-site ICU, compared with only 60% of non-children's hospital sites (P = .003). Seventy-six percent of sites used local protocols, including parameters for patient assessment, initiation, weaning, and feeding practices.

HFNC is used outside the ICU in nearly 50% of responding hospitals, with variation related to flow rate, feeding, and protocol use. HFNC is used for management of acute respiratory distress due to bronchiolitis, asthma, and pneumonia. Study findings suggest that HFNC is often used by pediatric hospitalists, but its use across North American hospitals remains variable and based on local consensus.