Nasal High Flow Oxygen Increases Exercise Tolerance in ILD Patients: Study

With this background, Yara Al Chikhanie and her team of investigators carried out a study to examine the effect of nasal high flow on exercise tolerance in ILD patients.

Twenty-five patients (10 female) with severe ILD performed three constant-load (70% maximal workload) cycling tests to exhaustion under different breathing conditions: room air, oxygen supplementation (4 L min⁻¹ O₂) and NHF (inspiratory O₂ fraction 0.5, 30–50 L min⁻¹, heated 34 °C and humidified).

Endurance time was significantly longer with NHF (618 ± 297 s) compared to O₂ (369 ± 217 s, p < 0.001) and room air (171 ± 76 s, p < 0.001). Kinetics of oxygen desaturation, chronotropic response, dyspnoea and leg fatigue sensations were delayed with NHF. At exhaustion with NHF, compared to the two other conditions, oxygen desaturation was less severe while heart rate, dyspnoea and leg fatigue were similar.

"NHF significantly improved endurance time, physiological parameters and sensations during exercise in severe ILD patients. NHF may be useful to improve functional capacities and facilitate pulmonary rehabilitation in ILD," the investigators concluded.

Reference:

Study titled, "The effect of heated, humidified nasal high flow oxygen supply on the exercise tolerance in patients with interstitial lung disease: A pilot study," published in Respiratory Medicine.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106523