The high nasal flow therapy for pre-oxygenation: a new strategy for conventional procedures in intensive care settings?

Endotracheal intubation is one of the most routinely performed invasive procedures, but also frequently associated with morbidity and mortality. Severe complications can occur and hypoxemia is most often reported in case of difficult airway access. In the last decades, the interest for High-Flow Nasal Cannula oxygen administration as an alternative technique for NIV or oxygenation has increased. The new technique represents a real attractive topic and its application for preventing hypoxemia during intubation in critically ill patients is acquiring interest as demonstrated by the growing number of clinical trials on this argument. As reported by the review of Ricard JD a growing body of evidence suggests that high flow oxygen therapy is an innovative and effective technique to improve oxygenation and prevent desaturation with different underlying diseases.