OBJECTIVE To determine potential effects of humidification on the volume of airway secretions in mechanically ventilated patients. METHODS Water vapor delivery from devices providing non-heated-wire humidification, heated-wire humidification, and heat and moisture exchanger (HME) were quantified on the bench. Then, patients requiring 24-hour mechanical ventilation were exposed sequentially to...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate optimal humidifier water temperature when using a helmet for noninvasive ventilation. METHODS Twenty-eight healthy individuals underwent 8 cm H2O CPAP ventilation with FIO2 of 0.21 and 0.5. Each was sequentially tested in the following order: using the helmet without humidification at ambient temperature; with humidification with unheated chamber water; and with humidifi...

This paper applies irreversibility analysis to characterize humidification-dehumidification (HD) desalination cycles and to identify how to further improve cycles and components. It is shown that minimizing specific entropy generation of the cycle maximizes the gained output ratio (GOR). It is also shown that each cycle has one limiting component that cannot be substantially improved and a seco...

We searched the MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases for articles published between January 1990 and December 2011. The update of this clinical practice guideline is based on 184 clinical trials and systematic reviews, and 10 articles investigating humidification during invasive and noninvasive mechanical ventilation. The following recommendations are made following the Grading of R...

Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of CPAP therapy for reducing symptoms (eg, daytime sleepiness), improving quality of life (QOL), reducing the risk of driving and occupational accidents, and preventing sequelae of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), such as cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.1-3 Many patients have trouble complying with CPAP therapy even though it is effective.4 A...

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can cause undesirable nasal symptoms, such as congestion to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients, whose symptoms can be attenuated by the addition of heated humidification. However, neither the nature of nasal symptoms nor the effect of heated humidification on nasal pathophysiology and pathology are convincingly known. 20 patients with OSA on...

BACKGROUND After tracheostomy, the airway lacks an essential mechanism for warming and humidifying the inspired air with the consequent functional impairment and discomfort. The purpose of this study was to compare airway hydration with cold-air nebulization versus heated high-flow humidification on medical interventions and tracheal ciliary beat frequency (CBF). METHODS Newly tracheostomized...

BACKGROUND Practitioners often presume there is adequate humidification in the ventilator circuit if the Y-piece is at a specified temperature, but control of Y-piece temperature may be inadequate to ensure adequate humidification. METHODS In an in vitro bench model we measured water-vapor delivery with several heated humidification setups and a wide range of minute volume (V (E)) values. The...

BACKGROUND The addition of heated humidification to CPAP has been shown to improve nasal adverse effects in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, current data regarding improvement in CPAP adherence is conflicting. Furthermore, there are no data from a tropical climate area with a high humidity level. METHODS In this prospective randomized crossover study conducted in Thailand...

Caring for patients who are mechanically ventilated poses many challenges for critical care nurses. It is important to humidify the patient's airways artificially to prevent complications such as ventilator-associated pneumonia. There is no gold standard to determine which type of humidification is best for patients who are artificially ventilated. This article provides an overview of commonly ...