Helmet-delivered continuous positive airway pressure with heliox in respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica Vol. 99; no. 2; pp. 308 - 310
• Main Authors: Mayordomo-Colunga, J, Medina, A, Rey, C, Concha, A, Los Arcos, M, Menéndez, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-02-2010; Blackwell
• Subjects: Age; Apnea; Apnea - therapy; Apnoeas; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchiolitis; Bronchiolitis - therapy; Bronchopneumonia; Children; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Continuous positive airway pressure; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - instrumentation; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - methods; Feasibility Studies; Female; General aspects; Heliox; Helium; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infectious diseases; Intubation; Male; Medical sciences; Oxygen; Pneumology; Pressure; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - therapy; Respiratory tract; Side effects; Sleep disorders; Treatment Outcome; Ventilation; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; Human; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Pediatrics; Pneumovirinae; Respiratory disease; Continuous positive airway pressure; Infant; Individual safety equipment; Respiratory system; Paramyxoviridae; Bronchiolitis; Virus; Respiratory tract; Mononegavirales; Apnoeas; Helmet; Bronchus disease; Safety; Pneumovirus; Heliox
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01529.x
• EISSN: 1651-2227
• ISSN: 0803-5253

Aim:  The objective of this study was to check the feasibility and efficacy of helmet‐delivered heliox‐continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in infants with bronchiolitis.
Methods:  Children <3 months of age diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis and recurrent apnoeas or a venous PCO2 >55 mmHg or a transcutaneous oxygen saturation <92% in room air were eligible for inclusion in the study. CPAP was delivered by a noninvasive ventilator connected to a heliox port. The interface was a helmet.
Results:  Eight consecutive infants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Apnoeas were present in six children before respiratory support was started; they disappeared in five of them. Two infants had to be changed to pressure support noninvasive ventilation, and one of them required intubation. No side effects were recorded.
Conclusion:  We propose a relatively new device to deliver heliox‐CPAP in small infants with bronchiolitis. Although this is just a descriptive study with a short sample, this system seems to be feasible and effective.