From the Guidelines
Airvo is a type of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy system that delivers warmed and humidified oxygen or air-oxygen blends through a nasal cannula at flow rates of up to 60 liters per minute. This system is commonly used in hospitals to treat patients with respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, COPD exacerbations, or respiratory distress, as it improves oxygenation while reducing work of breathing 1. The high flow rates provided by Airvo wash out anatomical dead space in the airways, create a small amount of positive pressure, and provide precise oxygen concentrations.
Key Features of Airvo
- Delivers warmed and humidified oxygen or air-oxygen blends through a nasal cannula
- Flow rates of up to 60 liters per minute
- Improves oxygenation while reducing work of breathing
- Allows patients to eat, drink, and speak during therapy, making it more comfortable and less invasive than mechanical ventilation
- Requires a power source and regular water refills for the humidification chamber during continuous use
Clinical Use of Airvo
According to the American College of Physicians guideline on the use of high-flow nasal oxygen in hospitalized patients for initial or postextubation management of acute respiratory failure, high-flow nasal oxygen therapy, such as Airvo, is suggested for use in hospitalized adults for the management of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure 1. This recommendation is based on low-certainty evidence, but suggests that Airvo may be a useful tool in the management of respiratory failure in hospitalized patients.
Benefits of Airvo
The use of Airvo has several benefits, including improved patient comfort and physiologic advantages, such as improved oxygenation and ventilation, better pulmonary compliance, reduced anatomical dead space, modest positive end-expiratory pressure, more efficient respiratory effort, reduced work of breathing, and secretion clearance 1. These benefits make Airvo a valuable tool in the management of respiratory conditions in hospitalized patients.
From the Research
Overview of Airvo
- Airvo is a type of respiratory support device that delivers high-flow humidified oxygen to spontaneously breathing patients 2, 3.
- It is designed to provide warmed and humidified respiratory gases to patients, which can help to improve respiratory mechanics and reduce symptoms such as breathlessness 4, 3.
Technical Specifications
- The Airvo device has an integrated flow generator that delivers high-flow humidified oxygen at rates of up to 60 L/min 2.
- The device can be set to deliver oxygen at different temperatures and flow rates, allowing for customization to individual patient needs 2, 3.
- The Airvo device has been compared to other high-flow nasal cannula devices, such as the Optiflow system, in terms of its humidification performance and ability to deliver heated and humidified gas 2.
Clinical Applications
- Airvo has been used in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory conditions, including those requiring palliative care 4, 3.
- The device has been shown to reduce respiratory rate and tissue carbon dioxide levels, while increasing tidal and end-expiratory lung volumes in patients with COPD 3.
- Airvo may be used as an alternative to traditional oxygen therapy, and has been shown to improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with respiratory failure 4, 3.