• N Hepping, W Garbe, and K Schneider.
• Neonatologie, GFO-Kliniken Bonn, St-Marien Hospital, Bonn.
• Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol. 2015 Dec 1; 219 (6): 253-8.

IntroductionHigh-flow nasal cannulae (HFNC) is a kind of non-invasive respiratory support. In recent years, its application has gained increasing popularity for treating neonates with respiratory failure. Within this study, neonatologists employed at high level perinatal centres within the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany were interviewed. We evaluated their personal experience as well as the underlying indication for using HFNC.MethodWe undertook an online survey.Results93% of the interviewed participants use HFNC systems in their NICU. The most prominent indications were CPAP-weaning, nasal trauma, and apnoea of prematurity. Both initial flow and maximum and minimum flow rates varied widely. The primary benefit of HFNC vs. conventional CPAP was the improved neonate tolerance, less nasal traumata and ease of application and care. A common disadvantage was the inability to conduct PEEP measurements.DiscussionThe application of the HFNC system is increasing for specific neonatal indications, thereby increasing the data for the evaluation of effectivity and safety. Nevertheless, detailed investigations of the appropriate flow rate settings are still lacking.© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

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