High Flow Nasal Cannula HFNC In Covid-19 Patients
High Flow Nasal Cannula HFNC In Covid-19 Patients
Many non-invasive ventilatory choices are available for COVID-19 patient who are having mild
 to moderate respiratory distress and their use will decrease the chance of ICU admission,
 intubation and mechanical ventilation in severe cases of COVID-19. However, all these
 respiratory supports and oxygen supply devices are aerosol generating and their selection
 should be precised enough to control nosocomial spread.

 High flow nasal cannula HFNC is a device that delivered the warmed and humid air on high flow
 rate through nose. It is used to treat severe respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients, a
 non-invasive ventilatory approach which is relative comfortable by using humidified and
 pre-heated air containing large concentration of oxygen. In acute respiratory failure HFNC is
 proven to be very effective and it also reduced the need of mechanical ventilation in severe
 patients. Apart from the supply of oxygen, HFNC generating positive airway pressure and
 decreasing the rebreathing from anatomical dead space.

 Prone position is also a save therapy and has been proven to be effective for refractory
 hypoxia by increasing tidal volume, oxygenation and diaphragmatic functions in ARDS patients.
 Recent studies showed that prone positioning and HFNC might avoid the prerequisite of
 intubation in moderate to severe patients of ARDS and as a result it decreases the nosocomial
 infection in physicians who are doing these aerosol generating procedures.
This is observational single-center study, that will be done at Lahore General Hospital in
 which 95 beds are allocated for COVID-19 patients including ICUs and HDUs. Ethical approval
 will be obtained from research ethical committee of Lahore General hospital, Lahore. Informed
 consent will be obtained from all patients who will agree to publish their data in this
 research. We will protect patient's privacy and obey with the Helsinki Declaration.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  All patients of > 18 years of ages, males and females who will be diagnosed COVID-19
 positive by RT-PCR with moderate illness.

 -  Patients having classical radiological lesions of COVID-19 on X-ray chest or HRCT
 chest.

 -  Respiratory rate > 30/ min and not responding to non-rebreather masks.

 -  COVID-related pneumonia requiring non-invasive ventilatory support (high-flow nasal
 cannula, and / or non-invasive ventilation and / or CPAP)

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Inability to provide consent;

 -  Severe respiratory failure requiring invasive ventilatory support;

 -  Indication of immediate tracheal intubation

 -  Significant acute progressive circulatory insufficiency

 -  Impaired alertness, confusion, restlessness

 -  Chest trauma or other contraindication to prone position

 -  Pneumothorax

 -  Nasal blockade

 -  Unable to tolerate high flow oxygen