High-flow nasal cannulas prove successful alternative to ventilators

High-flow nasal cannulas (HFNCs) were used to successfully treat 24 COVID-19 patients in respiratory distress at the University of Chicago Medicine. A team from the hospital’s emergency department reports using HFNCs, often in combination with proning, which allowed the hospital to raise patient oxygen levels from 40% to 80% and 90% without using intubation and ventilators. HFNCs can spread the coronavirus through the air, so personal protective equipment, negative pressure rooms for patients and anterooms where staff can change are essential for using the technique. (Healthcare Purchasing News story, 4/29/20)