Effectiveness of Heliox in hypercapnic respiratory failure

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Clinical effectiveness of heliox in patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure

• Sponsor organisation

  East Kent Hospital Trust

• Eudract number

  2008-000832-42

• ISRCTN Number

  N/A

• Research summary

  This study aims to look at the benefits of using helium gas in certain people with flare ups of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Traditionally oxygen is used to make them less breathless but studies have shown that sing helium gas may have a more rapid effect in relieving these symptoms and preventing the need for further intervention such as the use of breathing machines. When patients have a flare up of COPD the airways become swollen and thick and the work of breathing increases. This leads to turbulent flow of air through the narrowed airways and carbon dioxide levels in the blood become high which can make patients drowsy and confused. Previous studies using Helium gas with oxygen have shown that it is quicker and more effective at flowing though these narrowed airways and works more rapidly to ease symptoms of breathlessness and lower blood carbon dioxide levels. After patients have given consent, they will receive either air/ oxygen or helium/oxygen gas through a face mask. This will be a blind trial as the patient will not know which treatment group they are in. All other treatment will remain unchanged and they will continue to receive any other treatment felt necessary by the doctor. Arterial blood samples will be taken from the radial artery in the wrist after thirty minutes and again after two and four hours to check the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood to monitor whether they are improving. For the rest of the patients hospital stays they will be transferred to a medical ward and receive air/oxygen regardless of which gas they received on admission. Participation in this study will last for the first four hours of admission after being assessed by one of the research team.

• REC name

  London - South East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  08/H1102/88

• Date of REC Opinion

  5 Nov 2008

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion