Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population (n = 75)
| HFNC-success (n = 51) | HFNC-failure (n = 24) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years (mean ± SD, years) | 62.9 ± 2.0 | 69.3 ± 2.4 | 0.062 |
| Male gender [n(%)] | 39 (76.5) | 18 (75.0) | 0.889 |
| APACHE II*[M(P25, P75)] | 14 (11–22) | 15 (13–18) | 0.968 |
| Comorbidities [n(%)] | |||
| Moderate to severe CKD | 6 (11.8) | 7 (29.2) | 0.100 |
| Congestive heart failure | 8 (15.7) | 7 (29.2) | 0.219 |
| Chronic respiratory disease | 5 (9.8) | 4 (16.7) | 0.455 |
| Diabetes | 11 (21.6) | 8 (33.3) | 0.274 |
| Hypertension | 16 (31.4) | 10 (41.7) | 0.382 |
| Nervous system disease | 5 (9.8) | 6 (25.0) | 0.158 |
| Immunocompromised host | 6 (11.8) | 3 (12.5) | 1.000 |
| Primary etiology for respiratory failure [n(%)] | |||
| Non‐COVID pneumonia | 13 (25.5) | 5 (20.8) | 0.660 |
| COVID‐19 pneumonia | 14 (27.5) | 13 (54.2) | 0.025 |
| Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema* | 16 (31.4) | 5 (20.8) | 0.343 |
| Cardiogenic pulmonary edema | 7 (13.7) | 0 (0) | 0.089 |
| Pulmonary embolism | 1 (2.0) | 1 (4.2) | 0.541 |
| Duration of HFNC [M(P25, P75), h] | 54.0 (22.0–127.0) | 22 .0(7.3–58.3) | 0.001 |
| ICU stay duration [M(P25, P75), d] | 11.0 (5.0–23.0) | 42 .0(16.3–68.5) | 0.000 |
| ICU mortality [n(%)] | 1 (2.0) | 13 (54.2) | 0.000 |
Annotation: APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronical Health Evaluation II; HFNC, high-flow nasal cannula; CKD, chronic kidney disease; MV, mechanical ventilation; ICU, intensive care unit. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.
* acute respiratory distress syndrome due to acute pancreatic and extra-pulmonary infections