Overview
The application of HFNC therapy in patients with airway stent, improving both humidification and clearance of the airway secretion, could potentially reduce the risk of mucoid impaction, respiratory infections and granulation. HFNC therapy could be superior to nebulization of normal saline (usual care) in order to keep the stent cleaned, reducing, by inference, the risk of complications, as defined above.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Written informed consent
- Central Airway obstruction, both malignant and nonmalignant, treated with airway stenting (silicone or fully covered metallic stent)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Contraindication to HFNC (recent - within 3 months - nose surgery or facial trauma)
- Lack of written informed consent
- Neuropsychiatric disorders
- Pregnancy