Room air entrainment during beta-agonist delivery with heliox

Heliox in airway management

Helium-oxygen ("heliox") mixtures have been used for decades in the treatment of various respiratory problems ranging from acute upper airway obstructions to lower airway derangements, such as asthma and exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. This review presents a brief history of helium and helium-oxygen mixtures and their potential clinical uses, summarizes the results of past research into heliox in respiratory applications, explains the physiology of heliox, and presents more recent literature relating to heliox in the clinical setting.

Novel therapies for children with severe asthma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Novel therapies, such as a heliox gaseous mixture and noninvasive bilevel positive pressure ventilation, are being utilized in the treatment of the patient with severe asthma who is unresponsive to conventional medical management. Aggressive treatment may prevent intubation and its untoward complications.

RECENT FINDINGS

Both heliox and bilevel positive pressure ventilation have demonstrated clinical improvement in studies of patients refractory to standard care, both in adults and children.

SUMMARY

The studies in children are limited but show promise, especially when these therapies are used early in the treatment course and in certain subsets of patients.