VAPOTHERM, INC. Vapotherm, Inc. announced the presentation of an Investigator-initiated clinical trial, ?High flow humidified oxygen as an early intervention in children with acute severe asthma - a feasibility randomized controlled trial? at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2023. The study was conducted through the Brighton and Sussex Clinical Trial Unit at University Hospitals, Sussex, England under the direction of Drs.
Hector Rojas-Anaya and Paul Seddon. Children who presented to the Emergency Department with acute, severe, asthma exacerbations that did not respond to initial pharmacologic treatment were randomized to either HVNI or standard nasal oxygen therapy. 86% (19/22) of children treated with standard oxygen required escalation of therapy, while only 61% (17/28) of children treated with HVNI needed further escalation.
In addition, children treated with HVNI met hospital discharge criteria in a median time of 29 hours, compared to a median time of 37 hours for those treated with standard oxygen. Studies of acute asthma and other emergent conditions are limited, in part, by the challenge of obtaining informed consent. This study demonstrated the feasibility of pediatric emergency studies utilizing coordinated care and delayed informed consent.
