AIRVO for Major Head & Neck Surgery involving tracheostomy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Comparison of AIRVO high flow oxygen therapy with standard care for prevention of post-operative pulmonary complications after major head and neck surgery involving insertion of a tracheostomy – A proof of concept study
IRAS ID
223048
Contact name
Paul Twose
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff and Vale UHB
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 2 days
Research summary
Patients undergoing major head and neck surgery often develop breathing difficulties as a result of build up of sputum and difficulty taking deep breaths. Often as part of the surgery patients may also require a tracheotomy tube (a temporary tube placed into their airway) which is removed around 5-7 days after the operation. The presence of this tracheostomy tube increases the patient’s risk of developing breathing problems, especially difficulty clearing sputum and reduced lung volumes. To reduce the risk of developing these problems, different forms of oxygen therapy and humidification are used. This normally involves using oxygen masks, nebulisers and other medications to help loosen the sputum and maintain blood oxygen levels. Another method of giving oxygen and humidification is through the use of AIRVO, which delivers the air / oxygen to the patient at higher rates as well as warming and humidifying the air. \n\nThe aim of this study is to compare the AIRVO system to standard care in a small sample of patients (20 patients) undergoing major head and neck surgery involving insertion of a tracheostomy tube.\n\nThe study will compare rates of breathing complications (e.g. pneumonia, reduced lung volume) as well as comparing the time to remove the tracheostomy tube and the time the patient is required to stay in hospital. These results will then be used to develop a larger funded study.\n
REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
17/WA/0053
Date of REC Opinion
31 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion