Can you help us find people with experience of HFNC (High Flow Nasal Cannula) to share their experiences?

ELF is supporting a European Respiratory Society (ERS) Task Force that is developing a clinical practice guideline on:  High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in adults with acute respiratory failure.  

We are looking for people to help us develop questions for a patient survey on this topic and to provide feedback on the draft guideline recommendations.

Individuals will need to have experienced a High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in a hospital setting resulting from an episode of acute respiratory failure (ARF) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This would probably have been given in an intensive care unit (ICU) where oxygen would have been given to help with breathing.  HFNC is a type of non-invasive respiratory support that delivers a high flow (litres per minute) of medical gas to a patient through a nasal cannula intended to create a wash-out of the upper airway.  The gas is heated to best match human body temperature.  

The aim of the planned survey will be to understand more about the patient experience of receiving HCNC including feelings, comfort, impact on breathlessness etc., and if possible to also compare with experiences at the same time of receiving conventional oxygen therapy or NiV (non-invasive treatment).  These experiences will help to inform the guideline recommendations so we feel it is very important that patient views are heard.  

If you, or any contacts in support groups you are involved in, have experience of HFNC and might be interested in getting involved or finding out more please ask them to get in touch with Jeanette Boyd (jeanette.boyd@europeanlung.org) by 21 September 2020.  

Please feel free to circulate this opportunity within your networks.