Effect of High Flow Nasal Therapy (HFNC) Weaning Protocols vs Standard of Care on Respiratory Outcomes in Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure (WHIP)

June 4, 2026 updated by: Michele Mondoni, University of Milan

Effect of High Flow Nasal Therapy (HFNC) Weaning Protocols vs Standard of Care on Respiratory Outcomes in Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial

High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a widely used noninvasive respiratory support technique for patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). It provides heated and humidified oxygen at high flow rates, improving oxygenation, reducing respiratory effort, and enhancing patient comfort. International guidelines recommend HFNC over conventional oxygen therapy in hypoxemic ARF. However, there is significant variability in clinical practice regarding HFNC discontinuation, and no standardized weaning criteria currently exist. Prolonged HFNC use may increase hospital stay and healthcare costs, while premature discontinuation may lead to respiratory deterioration and the need for further ventilatory support. Previous studies suggest that successful HFNC weaning may be predicted by a Fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) ≤40% and a Respiratory rate-Oxygenation index (ROX index) ≥9.2. The ROX index is calculated as the ratio of peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) divided by fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) to respiratory rate. The primary objective of this study is to compare a standardized HFNC weaning strategy based on ROX index and FiO₂ thresholds with usual clinical practice based on physician judgment. The primary outcome is weaning failure at the first attempt, defined as the need for HFNC reinstitution, noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or death within 48 hours after discontinuation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
148

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Lombardy
      • Milan, Lombardy, Italy, 20142
        • Recruiting
        • Pulmonology Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo. Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan (Italy)
    • Sicily
      • Catania, Sicily, Italy, 95123
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Pulmonology Unit, University Hospital "G. Rodolico-San Marco"
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥18 years
  • Presence of acute respiratory failure (ARF)
  • Receiving HFNC treatment for ≥24 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Post-extubation HFNC use or tracheostomized patients
  • Respiratory acidosis (pH <7.35) or clinically significant acute hypercapnia (pCO₂ >50 mmHg with worsening from baseline)
  • Long-term home NIV or home CPAP use
  • Do-not-intubate (DNI) orders precluding escalation to invasive mechanical ventilation
  • Life expectancy ≤48-72 hours due to terminal non-respiratory disease
  • Neurological impairment or deep sedation preventing safe HFNC use (e.g. coma or severe uncontrolled delirium)
  • Technical contraindications to HFNC (i.e. facial trauma, maxillofacial surgery, severe nasal obstruction)
  • Refusal to participate or inability to provide informed consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Non-protocolized weaning
Non-protocolized weaning according to standard clinical practice: HFNC assessment every 24 hours and discontinuation based on physician clinical judgment.
Experimental: Protocolized weaning
Protocolized weaning using ROX index + FiO₂
Other: Protocolized HFNC weaning
HFNC discontinuation based on ROX index ≥9.2 and FiO₂ ≤40%

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Weaning failure
Time Frame: Within 48 hours after the first separation attempt
To compare the percentage of patients who fail HFNC weaning within 48 hours after the first separation attempt using a protocolized HFNC weaning strategy based on ROX index and FiO₂ cut-offs versus standard clinical practice guided by physician judgment.
Within 48 hours after the first separation attempt

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Second-attempt weaning success
Time Frame: Within 48 hours after the second separation attempt
To compare the percentage of patients who fail HFNC weaning within 48 hours after the second separation attempt using a protocolized HFNC weaning strategy based on ROX index and FiO₂ cut-offs versus standard clinical practice guided by physician judgment.
Within 48 hours after the second separation attempt
Length of hospital stay
Time Frame: From the day of hospital admission until the day of hospital discharge, assessed up to 60 days; and from the day of HFNC discontinuation until the day of hospital discharge, assessed up to 60 days.
Comparison of total hospital stay and post-weaning hospital stay between the two study arms.
From the day of hospital admission until the day of hospital discharge, assessed up to 60 days; and from the day of HFNC discontinuation until the day of hospital discharge, assessed up to 60 days.
In-hospital and 30-day mortality
Time Frame: From the day of admission to the day of discharge or death (in-hospital mortality) and from the day of admission to 30-day after discharge (30-day mortality)
Comparison of in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality after discharge between the two study arms.
From the day of admission to the day of discharge or death (in-hospital mortality) and from the day of admission to 30-day after discharge (30-day mortality)
Predictors of weaning success
Time Frame: From enrollment through hospital discharge, an average of 10 days.
Identification of clinical and respiratory variables associated with successful HFNC weaning.
From enrollment through hospital discharge, an average of 10 days.
Number of days of HFNC treatment from initiation to definitive discontinuation
Time Frame: From the date and time of HFNC initiation until the date and time of definitive HFNC discontinuation, assessed up to 30 days.
Number of days of HFNC treatment from initiation to definitive discontinuation
From the date and time of HFNC initiation until the date and time of definitive HFNC discontinuation, assessed up to 30 days.
Predictors of HFNC treatment duration
Time Frame: From HFNC initiation through hospital discharge, an average of 10 days
Demographic, clinical, radiological and laboratory variables associated with HFNC treatment duration
From HFNC initiation through hospital discharge, an average of 10 days
Prevalence of diaphragmatic dysfunction assessed by diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) and diaphragmatic excursion measured by ultrasound between the two study arms.
Time Frame: 30 minutes before HFNC weaning initiation and 24 hours after weaning completion.
Comparison of the prevalence of diaphragmatic dysfunction assessed by diaphragmatic ultrasound between patients with successful HFNC weaning and those with weaning failure. Diaphragmatic function will be evaluated using diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) and diaphragmatic excursion measured by ultrasound.
30 minutes before HFNC weaning initiation and 24 hours after weaning completion.
Changes in diaphragmatic function
Time Frame: Before HFNC discontinuation and within 48 hours after weaning attempt
Evaluation of diaphragmatic ultrasound parameters before and after HFNC discontinuation.
Before HFNC discontinuation and within 48 hours after weaning attempt

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Milan

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • THE WHIP TRIAL

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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