Longhini F, Liu L, Pan C, et al. Respir Care. 2019;64(5):582-589
In this study compared neurally-controlled pressure support through a helmet with pressure support through a face mask for subject comfort, breathing pattern, gas exchange, pressurization and triggering performance, and patient-ventilator synchrony. Two 30-min trials of NIV were randomly delivered to 10 subjects with COPD exacerbation. The first group was treated with pressure support through a face mask and the second group with NAVA through a helmet. Several parameters were evaluated including subject comfort, breathing frequency, respiratory drive, arterial blood gases, pressure-time product (PTP) of the first 300 ms and 500ms after initiation of subject effort, inspiratory trigger delay, and rate of asynchrony determined as the asynchrony index. NAVA through a helmet significantly improved comfort compared with pressure support through a face mask. Although the breathing pattern was not different between the methods, the respiratory drive was slightly reduced during NAVA through a helmet in comparison with pressure support through a face mask. Gas exchange was also not different between the trials. The PTP was comparable between trials, whereas triggering performance, patient-ventilator interaction, and synchrony were all improved by NAVA through a helmet compared with pressure support through a face mask. Therefore, in subjects with COPD with exacerbation, NAVA through a helmet improved comfort, triggering performance, and patient-ventilator synchrony compared with pressure support through a face mask.
Link to abstract