Comparing High Flow Nasal Canula Oxygen Therapy and Non-invasive Ventilation in COPD Patients with Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure: A Single-centre Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is frequently employed as a treatment option for Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure (AHRF) resulting from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Though it is frequently employed there are group of patients who are not tolerant to NIV,few recent studies had shown that High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) can be used to treat hypercapnia. Aim: To compare the outcome of using High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) versus NIV for COPD patients with AHRF. Materials and Methods: The present single centred crosssectional interventional study was performed from September 2022 to March 2024 at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, NRS Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. A total of 30 COPD patients with AHRF were included in this study and they were assigned in consecutive and alternate manner to the HFNC group and NIV group. Data during their hospital stay such as demographic data, vital data, arterial blood gases, mean duration of hospital stays, and treatment failure were recorded and analysed. Results were analysed by unpaired student t-test and p-values were derived using Graph Pad Prism version 10. A p-value of 0.05) between two groups. Conclusion: HFNC is an effective option to treat hypercapnic respiratory failure in COPD patients. HFNC therapy did not result in increased treatment failure or prolonged hospitalisation when compared to NIV.