Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Sociéte française de pédiatrie
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Observational Study
[Use of high-flow nasal cannula in infants with bronchiolitis in a pediatric emergency department].
High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) is a technique for noninvasive ventilation commonly used in pediatric intensive care units for respiratory distress, particularly in acute bronchiolitis. HFNC was introduced in the pediatric emergency department of the Reims university hospital for the treatment of infants with moderate to severe acute viral bronchiolitis. This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the use of HFNC in a pediatric emergency ward, describing the groups of infants with acute viral bronchiolitis to be treated either with conventional oxygen therapy or with HFNC therapy. ⋯ Moreover, modified Wood's score was higher and the mean PCO2 was 61.1 versus 49.9mmHg (P<0.01). Six infants treated with conventional oxygen therapy (7.9%) and six with HFNC (46.1%) were then transferred to an intensive care unit. HFNC therapy in the pediatric emergency ward seems to be an advantageous therapeutic option in the early treatment of infants with moderate to severe bronchiolitis, but further studies are needed to specify its indications and effectiveness.