High flow nasal cannula comparison to non-invasive ventilation in severe burns patients with acute respiratory failure: a literature review protocol

Introduction: acute respiratory failure is generally defined as the new onset of a clinically significant disorder. It can be hypoxic, hypercapnic, or mixed. Among the treatment methods for hypoxemic acute respiratory failure, conventional oxygen therapy is included, which allows for an increase in the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) using simple interfaces. A valid alternative is represented by the use of high-flow nasal cannulas (HFNC), as it offers the possibility of delivering increasingly higher, humidified, and heated gas flows.

Materials and Methods: a preliminary search will be conducted to verify the presence of previous reviews on the topic and subsequently, a literature review comparing high-flow nasal cannulas to non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in critically burned patients with acute respiratory failure.

Results: the results that will emerge could potentially contribute to refining current theories on the indications for the use of HFNC in burn patients.

Discussion: the future implications for research and clinical practice must adopt an increasingly targeted approach in the use of effective interfaces to improve patient compliance in terms of enhancing gas exchange, while being comfortable in terms of reducing pressure injuries caused by prolonged use.