Evaluation of Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Patients Receiving High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Purpose: One of the respiratory supports in acute respiratory failure (ARF) is high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy, which is being increasingly used. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the patients with ARF who received HFNC oxygen therapy in pediatric intensive care unit (ICU). Material and Methods: The study was done retrospectively in 104 patients who were admitted to the pediatric ICU and received HFNC oxygen therapy between January 2015 and December 2017. Results: The median age of the patients participating in the study was 5 months. The most common cause of hospitalization was lower respiratory disease (97.1%) and 52.9% of the patients had type 1 respiratory failure. The median length of stay in the pediatric ICU was 7 days, while the median duration of HFNC oxygen therapy was 48 hours. Of the patients who received HFNC oxygen therapy, 28.8% were intubated. In patients who were intubated during HFNC oxygen therapy, the rates of having a chronic disease and chronic lung disease were significantly higher than those who were not intubated (p=0.001, p=0.033, respectively). In terms of complications, 8.7% of the patients had nasal skin damage caused by the cannula and pneumothorax developed in 1.9% of the patients. The rates of chronic diseases and congenital heart disease of the patients who were admitted to pediatric ICU and died after HFNC oxygen therapy were significantly higher than the survivors (p=0.043, p=0.003, respectively). Conclusion: The results of HFNC oxygen therapy, which is being increasingly used in the treatment of respiratory failure in children, are generally satisfactory. However, due to possible complications close monitoring is required during the application.