Vapotherm Blog

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.  

The First Major NIV Innovation in the Past 30 Years is Here! — And It May Be a Solution for Anxious Respiratory Distress Patients

Let’s face it, tightly strapped face masks are not exactly pleasant. While many respiratory distress patients tolerate mask and pressure-based therapies just fine, many also experience anxiety and claustrophobia. Yet the gold standard treatment for patients in undifferentiated respiratory distress is Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NiPPV), even though about a third of all NiPPV failure is due to mask-intolerance.

Image of a stack of $100 bills with a stethoscope coiled around it

Could Your Hospital Save Money? The Economic Benefits of Ambulation

The medical community widely recognizes that prolonged bedrest can have harmful effects on patients while early mobility can lead to better outcomes. Yet, deep sedation of mechanically ventilated patients, and prolonged bed rest remain frequent practices in many ICUs.

Image of a male’s torso. He is grasping at his chest as if he’s having a heart attack.

How to Treat Respiratory Distress in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Patients Without Using a Mask?

When it comes to treating patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), usually an exacerbation of congestive heart failure (CHF), non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV) is often the go-to therapy. However, studies show that more than 30% of patients cannot tolerate NiPPV due to mask intolerance.

Subgroup Analysis Suggests Vapotherm High Velocity Therapy Non-Inferior to NiPPV in Treatment of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Patients

In March 2019, Haywood and colleagues published the results of a subgroup analysis in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine titled “HVNI vs NIPPV in the treatment of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: subgroup analysis of a multi-center trial in the ED.”

Image of Dr. Kirk Hinkley

What Spectrum of Patients Can Go On High Velocity Therapy? — An Emergency Physician Discusses

Hi-VNI Technology is Mask-Free NIV™ for spontaneously breathing patients, and as such it is a viable alternative to non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV). It can be an especially useful tool in the Emergency Department (ED) where physicians don’t yet know what exactly is wrong with the patients, but have to treat their respiratory distress quickly.

Image of Drs Hinkley, Hennessey, and Alawat in conversation

Mask-Free NIV® in the Emergency Department — ED Doctors Discuss Their Experience

The VP of Medical Education at Vapotherm®, Michael McQueen, MD, MBA, had a conversation with a group of Emergency Department physicians on their use of Hi-VNI® Technology. Hi-VNI Technology is Mask-Free NIV for spontaneously breathing patients and has been found to have equivalent outcomes to Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NiPPV) in adults presenting in the ED in undifferentiated respiratory distress.

Image of Kendall Williams with a play button over her face

A Moving Moment with the Vapotherm® Transfer Unit

Being confined to an ICU bed is hard for many patients for even a couple of weeks, let alone for over one hundred days. Patient ambulation not only has the benefit of counteracting the harmful effects of prolonged bedrest, but it can improve patient mood. Watch the story of one such ICU patient.

Imagine the Ventilatory Support of NiPPV with the Comfort of Humidified High Flow

Clinicians admitting patients in respiratory distress traditionally have three categories of tools to relieve symptoms. There is oxygen therapy for low severity patients, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV) for moderate distress, and then mechanical ventilation for severe cases of respiratory distress.

trifold image showing a pediatric, neonatal and adult patient

The Seven Types of Patients That Could Benefit from High Velocity Therapy

High Velocity Therapy delivered with Hi-VNI® Technology is mask-free noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for spontaneously breathing patients. It is a viable alternative to NiPPV and can relieve undifferentiated respiratory distress, including hypercapnia and hypoxemia. It is one user-friendly tool that could benefit a variety of patients from neonate to end-of-life.

image of a chest x-ray with one lung being partly white

Treating the Congested Patient with High Velocity Therapy

Whether it’s pneumonia, bronchiolitis, or other respiratory infections, secretion clearance is one of the keys to symptom relief. Rehydration of airway mucosa to promote mucociliary function helps with secretion clearance, and this can be effectively achieved by inhalation of heated, humidified gas.