Diaphragm electromyography results at different high flow nasal cannula flow rates

Conclusions: In infants with respiratory distress or BPD, there was no advantage of using high (8  L/min) compared with lower flow rates (4 or 6 L/min) during support by HHHFNC.What is known:• Humidified high flow nasal cannulae (HHHFNC) is increasingly being used as a non-invasive form of respiratory support for prematurely born infants.• There is a paucity of evidence regarding the optimum flow rate with 1 to 8 L/min being used.What is new:• We have assessed the work of breathing using the amplitude of the electromyogram of the diaphragm at three HHHFNC flow rates in infants with respiratory distress or BPD.• No significant differences were found in the EMG amplitude results or the numbers of bradycardias or desaturations at 4, 6 and 8 L/min.
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research