Is high-flow nasal cannula therapy feasible for managing bronchiolitis in children in the emergency department?

For her dissertation, Amy Dallison carried out a literature review of the potential benefits of using high-flow nasal cannula therapy for bronchiolitis in children in hospital emergency departments

Background

Bronchiolitis is a common condition affecting infants. Emergency department (ED) management of the condition for children in England has involved oxygen therapy through use of a standard oxygen mask, which children do not always tolerate. Recent research has looked at high-flow nasal cannula therapy as an alternative way to manage bronchiolitis in the ED.

Aim

To determine whether high-flow nasal cannula therapy is a suitable and effective approach in EDs for infants with bronchiolitis.

Method

Databases that were searched included CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Citation and handsearching were also carried out. Studies were selected if the majority of participants were under two years