2024, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A

Background: Postoperative respiratory complications rank as the second most common complications after surgery and impose a significant strain on healthcare systems. This research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of preventive immediate application of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in comparison to conventional oxygen therapy (COT) after extubating, with the goal of minimizing the reintubation rate.

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled clinical study was carried out on a cohort of 146 adult patients who had undergone extubation. The participants were allocated into two equal groups using a randomization process: Group A (control group) is the designated group that serves as a standard for comparison in an experiment. There were 73 people diagnosed with COT. Administered by nasal cannula or face mask. Group B is using HFNC therapy. There were 73 patients that were treated with HFNC.

Results: Comparing the Rox between the two studied groups after 6, 12 hrs. Showed a statistically significant increase in group B than group A, while there was not statistically significance difference after 24, 36 hrs. There was a statistically significance difference between the two groups when we compared the P/F ratio at 1, 4, 12, 24, and 36 hours. The HLS range for Group A (COT) was (3.0 - 12.0) compared to Group B (HFNC) (3.0 - 10.0) (P<0.001). This difference was statistically significance.

Conclusions: Post-surgical patient at high risk of ALI, the use of immediate HFNC compared to COT reduce the reintubation rate.