Humidification in the Intensive Care Unit

Antonio M. Esquinas, MD, PhD, is President of the International Association of Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation.

• Humidification and physiology.- Physiology humidification: Basic concepts.- Airways: Humidification and filtration functions.- Humidification and devices.- Heated humidifier.- Heat and moisture exchangers.- Heat and moisture exchangers and booster® system: technology and clinical implications.- Active vs passive humidification: efficiency comparison between methods.- Main techniques for evaluating the performances of humidification devices used for mechanical ventilation.- Humidification and high-flow oxygen therapy.- Discomfort associated with underhumidified high-flow oxygen therapy in critically ill patients.- Humidification and non-invasive ventilation.- Humidification during non-invasive ventilation.- Behavior of hygrometry during non-invasive mechanical ventilation.- Practice of humidification during non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV): determinants of humidification strategies.- Indications and contraindications in home care.- Pros and cons of humidification for CRAP therapy in the treatment of sleep apnea.- Humidification and invasive mechanical ventilation.- Humidification in intensive care medicine: general approach to selected humidification devices and complications of mechanical ventilation.- Effect of airway humidification devices on tidal volume.- Humidification during invasive mechanical ventilation: Selection of device and replacement.- Humidification during invasive mechanical ventilation: Hygrometric performances and cost of humidification systems.- Postoperative mechanical ventilation-humidification.- Humidification during laparoscopy procedures: key topics, technological and clinical implications.- Humidification and ventilator-associated pneumonia.- Respiratory filters and ventilator-associated pneumonia: Composition, efficacy tests, and advantages anddisadvantages.- Efficacy of heat and moist exchangers in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).- Humidifier type and prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia.- Humidification and the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia: Evidence and guidelines on the prevention of VAP for the use of HME or HH.- Humidification devices and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Current recommendations on respiratory equipment.- Humidification and tracheostomy.- A portable trachea spray for lower airway humidification in patients after tracheostomy.- Humidification, mucus transport and secretion clearance.- Humidification and mucus transport in critical patients: clinical and therapeutic implications.- Secretion in patients with neuromuscular diseases.- Automated airway secretion clearance in the ICU by in-line inexsufflation.- Effect of humidification on lung mucociliary clearance in patients with bronchiectasis.- Humidification in critically ill neonates.- Measurement of inspired gas temperature in the ventilated neonate.- Humidification during non-invasive respiratory support of the newborn: continuous positive airway pressure, nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation, and humidified high-flow nasal cannula.