Diaphragm function in post-upper abdominal surgery: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) versus nasal cannula - a pilot...

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Critical Care
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Oxygen therapy is crucial for patients undergoing surgery.
• High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) therapy is an alternative to conventional oxygen delivery.
• Understanding the comparative effectiveness of HFNC and conventional oxygen therapy is important for clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of HFNC and conventional oxygen therapy in adult patients undergoing upper-abdominal surgery.
• To identify differences in clinical parameters, diaphragm function, lung aeration, and blood gas analysis between the two oxygen delivery methods.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 20 adult patients undergoing upper-abdominal surgery.
• Patients were randomized into two groups: conventional oxygen therapy (n=10) and HFNC therapy (n=10).
• Assessed parameters included Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), heart rate, respiratory rate, diaphragm thickening via ultrasound, lung distribution via Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), and blood gas analysis.

Main Results:

• No significant clinical or statistical differences were observed in EIT, ultrasound diaphragm thickening, or other clinical parameters between the groups.
• A statistically significant difference was found in mean arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) at time 1, with the conventional therapy group showing higher PO2 (137.10 mmHg) than the HFNC group (93.95 mmHg).
• One patient in the HFNC group reported discomfort; no other adverse events were noted.

Conclusions:

• This pilot study did not find significant differences in most assessed parameters between HFNC and conventional oxygen therapy.
• The observed lower arterial PO2 in the HFNC group warrants further investigation.
• More extensive research is required to draw conclusive results on the comparative effectiveness of HFNC versus conventional oxygen therapy.