Comparison of high-flow nasal cannula versus oxygen face mask for environmental bacterial contamination in critically ill pneumonia patients: a randomized controlled crossover trial
C C H Leung, G M Joynt, C D Gomersall, W T Wong, A Lee, L Ling, P K S Chan, P C W Lui, P C Y Tsoi, C M Ling, M Hui, C C H Leung, G M Joynt, C D Gomersall, W T Wong, A Lee, L Ling, P K S Chan, P C W Lui, P C Y Tsoi, C M Ling, M Hui
Abstract
Whereas high-flow nasal cannula use is gaining prevalence, its high gas flow raises concerns about aerosolization of infectious particles and spread of infection. This randomized controlled crossover non-inferiority trial (N = 20) evaluated the degree of environmental contamination by viable bacteria associated with the use of high-flow nasal cannula compared with conventional oxygen mask for critically ill patients with Gram-negative pneumonia. The results show that high-flow nasal cannula use was not associated with increased air or contact surface contamination by either Gram-negative bacteria or total bacteria, suggesting that additional infection control measures are not required.
Keywords: Bacterial pneumonia; Environmental contamination; Infection control; Infectious disease transmission; Oxygen therapy.
Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Source: PubMed