High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy

High-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNO) is an oxygenation technique frequently used in intensive care. The main objective of our study is to show that the use of a protocol for weaning patients off high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNO) in the intensive care unit increases the probability that patients will be weaned from HFNO at Day 7 post-randomisation. This is a open-label multicentre randomised controlled trial conducted in two parallel groups. The primary endpoint is the success rate at Day 7, with success defined as "definitive" weaning from HFNO, i.e. patients weaned from HFNO for more than 48 hours without recourse to non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or intubation and still alive at Day 7. The weaning protocol will be started as soon as the patient meets all the inclusion criteria, considered to be the prerequisites for initiating weaning from HFNO. Patients will be monitored until Day 28 maximum.

Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) is a common indication for admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), with mortality exceeding 50% in cases where invasive mechanical ventilation is needed. Therefore, assessment of the most adequate oxygen strategy to avoid intubation in patients with AHRF deserves consideration.Previous studies have indicated that non-invasive oxygenation strategies, including high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO), helmet or face mask noninvasive ventilation (NIV), and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), are effective in preventing endotracheal intubation in adult patients with AHRF when compared to the standard oxygen therapy. However, the optimal non-invasive oxygenation strategies remain uncertain. This study aim to determine whether CPAP, compared with HFNC or NIV, increase the intubation-free survival during study period in patients with AHRF.