NCT06457399

Heliox on the Work of Breathing in Adult Patients With Lower Airway Stenosis

The Effect of Heliox on the Work of Breathing in Adult Patients With Lower Airway Stenosis

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 18 (actual)
• Sponsor: Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Heliox (a mixture of Helium and Oxygen) can reduce the work of breathing in patients with airway stenosis by modifying turbulent flow into laminar flow. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of Heliox versus conventional oxygen therapy in patients with lower airway stenosis on muscular effort measured by electromyography and diaphragmatic ultrasound, thoracoabdominal synchrony assessed with plethysmographic bands, dyspnea, stridor, oxygen saturation, transcutaneous carbon dioxide value, blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate.

Detailed description

Lower airway stenosis results in increased work of breathing with stridor and dyspnea, as a consequence of the increased resistances caused by the reduction in airway diameter. Airway resistance also depends on the length of the airway and the type of gas flow. Heliox (a mixture of Helium and Oxygen) is a gas less dense than air, which can change the flow from turbulent to laminar, reducing airway resistance by 20 to 40%, and therefore decreasing the work of breathing. Heliox is an inert gas that does not react with biological membranes, so there are few complications associated with its use, the most relevant being hypoxemia when fixed mixtures are not used and the the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) supplied is less than 21%. The aim of the study was to evaluate if during the perioperative period of lower airway stenosis the administration of Heliox compared to oxygen could reduce the work of breathing and improve dyspnea. For this purpose, patients were treated for 30 minutes with Heliox (fixed mixture of 70% helium and 30% oxygen) using a non rebreather mask or reservoir bag versus 30 minutes with oxygen 31% using a Venturi mask.

Conditions

• Airway Obstruction

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Heliox	Treatment for 30 minutes with Heliox from a commercial tank (Oxhelⓒ, Air Liquideⓒ) with a fixed mixture of 70% helium and 30% oxygen with non-rebreather mask or reservoir bag at a flow of 12-15 lpm.
DRUG	Oxygen	Treatment for 30 minutes with oxygen at FiO2 of 31% with Venturi mask.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-04-27
• Primary completion: 2023-05-31
• Completion: 2024-11-01
• First posted: 2024-06-13
• Last updated: 2024-06-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Spain