When we breathe spontaneously under normal conditions the upper airway is designed to effectively filter, heat and humidify the air. Depending on ambient conditions, inhaled gas is heated to 37°C and humidified to 100% relative humidity. The point where the gas is fully heated and humidified is called the isothermic saturation boundary and typically occurs before the fourth or fifth generation of subsegmental bronchi.
However, when a patient is using high flow therapy (ie. flow that will meet inspiratory demand) with nasal cannula, then the flow of typically dry, cold room air can quickly overwhelm the upper airway, causing the isothermic saturation boundary to move into lower airways. This creates upper airway discomfort and patient non-compliance and lower airway trauma. Fully heating and humidifying the gas prior to the cannula solves these problems creating comfortable, tolerable therapy.
Mechanical Ventilation:
The Hydrate OMNI™ allows the clinician to input the parameters under which the gas will be conditioned and then can monitor the gas temperature and water input continuously. This allows unprecedented control and understanding of the heat/humidification process. Moreover, the C-Force is placed just proximal to the patient, thereby allowing virtually no rainout due to condensation, ensuring the clinician that what is ‘dialed in’ is delivered.
High Flow Gas Therapy:
The Hydrate OMNI™ can fully heat and humidify gas flows up to 40 L/min and is simple and easy to setup. The clinician can set the heat and humidity conditions that they prefer and be assured that the patient is comfortable and the airways are not stressed. Addition of the heat and humidity is just proximal to the nasal cannula near the patient, thus obviating the need for bulky tubes or heating wires.
Tracheostomy:
The Hydrate OMNI™ can easily adapt to a trach mask or T-piece to heat and humidify gas for tracheotomy patients. Quickly and easily adjust the temperature and humidity to maximize the patient’s therapy and comfort. You won’t need long corrugated tubes or noisy nebulizers causing condensation with the potential to ‘drown’ the patient because the C-Force™ T adds the perfect amount of water and heat immediately before the mask or T-piece. You only need standard oxygen tubing and a flowmeter.
Effects of inadequate humidification
Failure to adequately humidify gas (oxygen) before it is delivered to the lungs will potentially lead to multiple serious problems. These include such complications as:
- Patient discomfort
- Drying of lung secretions
- Bleeding
- Increased secretion viscosity (mucous plugging)
- Increased resistance to airflow
- Compromised natural defense of the body
- Tracheitis (inflammation of the trachea)
- Atelectasis (collapsed lung)
A nasal cannula can successfully deliver up to 6 liters of oxygen per minute without complications such as those listed above. However, a nasal cannula historically has not been usable for higher gas flows because there has not been a reliable means to adequately heat and humidify the inspired gas. For example, if higher flows of gas were prescribed, clinicians have had to resort to apparatus such as masks that deliver gas humidified with “passover humidifiers.” Such methodology is more invasive than a nasal cannula, and it delivers an unknown amount of humidity.