Vapotherm Blog
CAUTION: US Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician. Indications, contraindications, warnings, and instructions for use can be found in the product labelling supplied with each device or at https://vapotherm.com/resources/support/precision-flow-reference/. For spontaneously breathing patients. High Velocity Therapy (HVT) does not provide total ventilatory requirements of the patient. It is not a ventilator. Decisions surrounding patient care depend on the physician’s professional judgment in consideration of all available information for the individual case, including escalation of care depending on patient condition.
Vapotherm provides high velocity nasal insufflation (HVNI) with simultaneous oxygen delivery to augment breathing of spontaneously breathing patients suffering from respiratory distress and/or hypoxemia in the hospital setting. It is not intended to provide total ventilatory requirements of the patient and not for use during field transport.
The information provided in this section is for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to support the safety or effectiveness of Vapotherm products, or diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is not a substitute for consultation with your healthcare provider and should not be construed as medical advice.
COVID-19 Transmission Assessment Report
COVID-19 is a viral pneumonia which emerged in 2019 and reached Pandemic status by March 2020. The disease presents with a range of symptoms, up to profound hypoxemic respiratory failure. Management recommendations around the world call for the use of High Flow delivery of high flow oxygen – such as High Velocity Nasal Insufflation (HVNI).
In Silico Modeling of Aerosol Generated During High Velocity Therapy Treatment
In March, 2020 Leonard and colleagues released a Transmission Assessment Report on High Velocity Nasal Insufflation (HVNI) Therapy Application in Management of COVID-19. The report includes a literature review as well as the results of computational fluid dynamics modeling (CFD) — in silico testing — to evaluate the scale of potential environmental contamination associated with aerosol generation during high velocity therapy.
Transmission Protection When Treating COVID-19 Patients with High Velocity Therapy
All respiratory support modalities generate aerosol. However, not all of them present the same risk of nosocomial transmission. This is often reflected in guidelines from healthcare institutions. For example, the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) recommends the use of high flow oxygen as a front-line therapy over the use of NiPPV for COVID-19 patients not requiring intubation.
COVID-19 Patients on Vapotherm® High Velocity Therapy
With COVID-19 spreading across the globe, healthcare providers on the front lines have to select the tools that will offer them and their patients the support they need. For clinicians that are considering using Vapotherm high velocity therapy on their patients, here is an overview of the full utility spectrum of this tool for a more informed decision-making process.
Why the Shift from Pressure Ulcer to Pressure Injury?
If you, like me, started your clinical career decades ago, you probably heard the term “pressure ulcer” over and over again. But the term “pressure injury” has become much more prevalent now when discussing wound care and prevention. It even happened that recently, the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) officially changed their name to National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP).
When Albuterol Isn’t Recommended—A Way to Rehydrate Airway Mucosa
If you work with respiratory distress patients, you’ve probably heard jokes about the frequent use of albuterol. It’s a very common go-to medication, but it’s no laughing matter if it’s used when not recommended — as is the case for bronchiolitis treatment.
How Your Precision Flow® Systems Could Help Streamline Your Emergency Department Workflow
Given the flu season is in full swing you are likely seeing patients coming in with respiratory distress that stems from exacerbations of underlying conditions, like COPD. Chances are you are using noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV) to treat some of these patients. If this sounds like your practice, you’re not alone. But some of the steps in this workflow can be time-consuming — such as coaching patients for compliance or carefully increasing NiPPV pressure to clinical effectiveness.
Why Not All High Flow is the Same
In recent years, High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) has gained popularity with clinicians treating patients in respiratory distress.
The general consensus about HFNC is that it is often viewed as an option that is more effective than standard oxygen therapy among hypoxemic patients and also more comfortable when compared to mask-based noninvasive ventilation (NIV).
Why It Matters That Not All High Flow is the Same
In a previous piece we discussed the various design elements that create differences among types of High Flow Nasal Cannulas (HFNC). Given the increasing popularity of HFNC, it’s important to not just be aware of what makes one device different from another, but also to understand the difference in their clinical outcomes.
Treating PTSD Patients in Respiratory Distress—How to Manage the Mask Intolerance?
Two well-known things about non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV) are that:
1. It is the gold standard for initial non-invasive respiratory distress treatment, especially resulting from COPD and,
2. It fails up to a third of the time because of the patients’ mask intolerance.