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Comparative Study
. 2017 Dec;39(12):2481-2487.
doi: 10.1002/hed.24917. Epub 2017 Oct 9.

Heated air humidification versus cold air nebulization in newly tracheostomized patients

Richard Birk  1 , Alexander Händel  2 , Angela Wenzel  2 , Benedikt Kramer  2 , Christoph Aderhold  2 , Karl Hörmann  2 , Boris A Stuck  1 , J Ulrich Sommer  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Heated air humidification versus cold air nebulization in newly tracheostomized patients

Richard Birk et al. Head Neck. 2017 Dec.

Abstract

Background: After tracheostomy, the airway lacks an essential mechanism for warming and humidifying the inspired air with the consequent functional impairment and discomfort. The purpose of this study was to compare airway hydration with cold-air nebulization versus heated high-flow humidification on medical interventions and tracheal ciliary beat frequency (CBF).

Methods: Newly tracheostomized patients (n = 20) were treated either with cold-air nebulization or heated humidification. The number of required tracheal suctioning procedures to clean the trachea and tracheal CBF were assessed.

Results: The number of required suctions per day was significantly lower in the heated humidification group with medians 3 versus 5 times per day. Mean CBF was significantly higher in the heated humidification group (6.36 ± 1.49 Hz) compared to the cold-air nebulization group (3.99 ± 1.39 Hz).

Conclusion: The data suggest that heated humidification enhanced mucociliary transport leading to a reduced number of required suctioning procedures in the trachea, which may improve postoperative patient care.

Keywords: humidification; nurse care; tracheostomy; tracheostomy care ciliary beat frequency (CBF).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Box‐and‐whisker plot of suction procedures in the cold‐air nebulization (CAN) group and the heated humidifier (HH) group. The boxes represent the interquartile range (IQR), with the whiskers extending up to 1.5 times the IQR. The median is marked with a solid line. Outliers are marked with a circle. Visits are shown in days, and suction in necessary numbers [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
Figure 2
Figure 2
Box‐and‐whisker plot of ciliary beat frequency (CBF) changes in the cold‐air nebulization (CAN) group and the heated humidifier (HH) group. The boxes represent the interquartile range (IQR), with the whiskers extending up to 1.5 times the IQR. The median is marked with a solid line. Outliers are marked with a circle. Visits are shown in days, and CBF in Hz [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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