High Flow humidified oxygen as an early intervention in children with Acute Severe Asthma: a feasibility study
Acronym: HiFlo ASA
Trial status: Closed
Disease area: Paediatric asthma
Funder: NIHR
Description
Asthma is a common chronic disorder of reversible airway obstruction, affecting one in 11 children in the UK. The condition is characterised by bronchial smooth muscle contraction, airway inflammation and increased airway secretions. Children with asthma are prone to episodes of acute severe airway obstruction characterised by wheeze and increased work of breathing. Many preschool children, not yet diagnosed with asthma, are admitted to hospital with episodes of acute severe wheeze. They present identically, and are treated in the same way, as older children with diagnosed asthma, although they can be less responsive to therapy.
There is a need to investigate other options for treating ASA in order to improve the effectiveness of treatment and reduce adverse effects. High flow, highly humidified oxygen therapy (HiFlo) is an innovative health care technology which supports breathing by supplying a warm, humidified air/oxygen mixture at high flow rates. This technology has already shown promising results in other acute respiratory conditions in children.
The aim of this feasibility study is to establish whether a full RCT of early HiFlo in ASA can be conducted successfully and safely; and whether recruitment to such trial, using deferred consent, is practicable in children aged 2 to 11 years presenting to hospital with ASA.
Study design: Feasibility randomised controlled multi-centre trial (RCT)
Trial status: Closed
Trial manager: Dr Hector Rojas-Anaya
Chief Investigator: Professor Paul Seddon
Start date: February 2020 (restart after COVID: July 2021)
End date: June 2023
Recruitment target: 48
Summary of study results: n/a