High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy decreases postextubation neuroventilatory drive and work of breathing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: The physiological effects of high-flow nasal cannula O-2 therapy (HFNC) have been evaluated mainly in patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure. In this study, we compared the effects of HFNC and conventional low-flow O-2 therapy on the neuroventilatory drive and work of breathing postextubation in patients with a background of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had received mechanical ventilation for hypercapnic respiratory failure. Methods: This was a single center, unblinded, cross-over study on 14 postextubation COPD patients who were recovering from an episode of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure of various etiologies. After extubation, each patient received two 1-h periods of HFNC (HFNC1 and HFNC2) alternated with 1 h of conventional low-flow O-2 therapy via a face mask. The inspiratory fraction of oxygen was titrated to achieve an arterial O-2 saturation target of 88-92%. Gas exchange, breathing pattern, neuroventilatory drive (electrical diaphragmatic activity (EAdi)) and work of breathing (inspiratory trans-diaphragmatic pressure-time product per minute (PTPDI/min)) were recorded. Results: EAdi peak increased from a mean (+/- SD) of 15.4 +/- 6.4 to 23.6 +/- 10.5 mu V switching from HFNC1 to conventional O-2, and then returned to 15.2 +/- 6.4 mu V during HFNC2 (conventional O-2: p < 0.05 versus HFNC1 and HFNC2). Similarly, the PTPDI/min increased from 135 +/- 60 to 211 +/- 70 cmH(2)O/s/min, and then decreased again during HFNC2 to 132 +/- 56 (conventional O-2: p < 0.05 versus HFNC1 and HFNC2). Conclusions: In patients with COPD, the application of HFNC postextubation significantly decreased the neuroventilatory drive and work of breathing compared with conventional O-2 therapy.