High-Flow Oxygen Therapy Via Tracheal Intubation in Neurocritical Patients

Neurocritical patients, including those with traumatic brain injury, stroke, or intracranial hemorrhage, often require prolonged mechanical ventilation due to impaired respiratory drive or airway protection needs. Weaning these patients from invasive ventilation involves two key stages: liberation from mechanical support and extubation. Early weaning reduces complications, accelerates recovery, and lowers healthcare costs. Clinical guidelines advocate early weaning assessments for patients ventilated for over 24 hours, followed by spontaneous breathing trials (SBT) to confirm readiness for independent breathing. While patients passing SBT are typically extubated promptly, neurocritical patients often face delayed extubation due to impaired consciousness or inadequate airway protection, despite adequate respiratory function. In these cases, the tracheal tube primarily ensures airway protection rather than ventilatory support.

Traditionally, low-level ventilatory support (e.g., pressure support of 5-8 cmH₂O) is used to counter the inspiratory resistance of the tracheal tube and provide humidified gas. However, prolonged ventilation, even at minimal levels, may increase risks such as ventilator-associated pneumonia and diaphragm dysfunction. Evidence indicates that appropriately sized tracheal tubes may not substantially increase the work of breathing (WOB), and some patients can compensate for this resistance without ventilatory support.

High-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT), delivered via nasal cannula or tracheostomy, provides heated, humidified oxygen at high flow rates, enhancing oxygenation, reducing WOB, and improving patient comfort. Emerging evidence supports its role in facilitating weaning in tracheostomized patients and during SBT in intubated patients. However, the safety and feasibility of HFOT via tracheal intubation (HFOT-TI) in neurocritical patients during early weaning remain largely unexplored. Given the prolonged airway protection needs in this population, HFOT-TI may serve as an effective bridge to extubation, potentially minimizing prolonged ventilatory support and associated complications.

Investigators aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of HFOT-TI in neurocritical patients who have passed SBT but require ongoing airway protection. Investigators assessed changes in respiratory parameters and safety outcomes.