Helium:oxygen versus air:oxygen noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in patients exposed to sulfur mustard.

Abstract

Exposure to sulfur mustard (SM) causes a variety of respiratory symptoms, such as chronic bronchitis and constrictive bronchiolitis. This study assessed the effectiveness of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation, adjunct with 79:21 helium:oxygen instead of 79:21 air:oxygen, in 24 patients with a previous exposure to SM presenting with acute respiratory failure. Both air:oxygen and helium:oxygen significantly decreased systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, dyspnea, and increased oxygen saturation (P values: .007, .029, .002, <.001, <.001, <.001, and .002 for air:oxygen, respectively, and <.001, .020, .001, <.001, <.001, <.001, and .002, for helium:oxygen, respectively). Moreover, helium:oxygen more potently improved systolic pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and dyspnea (P values: .012, .048, <.001, <.001, and .012, respectively). The results of our study support the benefit of using helium:oxygen adjunct with noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in patients exposed to SM with acute respiratory decompensation.

• Authors: Mostafa Ghanei, Mohsen Rajaeinejad, Rouzbeh Motiei-Langroudi, Farshid Alaeddini, Jafar Aslani
• Journal: Heart & lung : the journal of critical care (Heart Lung) 2011 May-Jun Vol. 40 Issue 3 Pg. e84-9 ISSN: 1527-3288 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20561871 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Chemical Warfare Agents
• Helium
• heliox
• Oxygen
• Mustard Gas

Topics

• Adult
• Air
• Airway Resistance (drug effects)
• Blood Pressure (drug effects)
• Bronchiolitis (chemically induced, nursing)
• Bronchitis (chemically induced, nursing)
• Chemical Warfare Agents (toxicity)
• Chronic Disease
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (methods, nursing)
• Dyspnea (chemically induced, nursing)
• Female
• Heart Rate (drug effects)
• Helium
• Humans
• Iran
• Lung Volume Measurements
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mustard Gas (toxicity)
• Oxygen (blood)
• Oxygen Inhalation Therapy (methods, nursing)
• Respiratory Insufficiency (chemically induced, nursing)
• Respiratory Rate