Background: Airway humidification methods are commonly used in clinical practice, but no clear consensus exists on which particular method is best suited for specific clinical conditions. Methods:In this retrospective study, we carried out a quantitative evaluation of three methods commonly used for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI). We recruited 150 patients who received airway humidification after tracheotomy. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the humidification method they received which included oxygen atomizer (OA) group, heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) group, and heated humidifiers (HHs) group. Variables including phlegm viscosity, humidification effects, phlegm formation rates, daily sputum inhalation times, airway spasm, secondary lung infections, daily nursing load, and evaluation of nurse job satisfaction levels were documented.Results: Results indicated that the OA tended to cause either insufficient or excessive humidification, whereas phlegm scab formation was significantly reduced in HHs. HMEs and HHs displayed equal humidification effects, and a similar daily sputum induction and consequent nursing load. Airway spasm was a frequent occurrence in OA. The severity, but not the infection ratio, of secondary infection decreased significantly in HHs by the 30 th day. The OA significantly reduced nursing load, but demonstrated the worst humidification effects.Conclusions: Overall results suggested that the HHs is more suitable for airway nursing of STBI patients who are bedridden for extended periods.

This a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary.A clinical practice providing the more appropriate airway humidification methods applied on patients with severe traumatic brain injuryxiaohong yin 1 , banyou ma 2 , lei yang 2 , hua sun 2 , zhilei yun 2 , and yuxia wang 2 1 changzhou forth people's hospital 2 Affiliation not available

Airway humidification is an essential treatment for severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) patients after tracheotomy. To date, there was no relevant quantitative study evaluating these humidification ways and providing the appropriate method for the long-term nursing of these patients. In this study, 150 patients whom received tracheotomy treatment in our hospital from January 2016 to November 2018 were recruited into this study. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the humidification way that they received. The groups were oxygen spraying group (group A), Heat and moisture exchanger (HME) group (group B) and the heating and humidification group (group C). Phlegm viscosity, humidification effect, phlegm formation rate, daily sputum inhalation times, airway spasm, secondary lung infection, daily nursing times, nurses' internal satisfaction were evaluated. The C method is superior to both A and B methods in most aspects. A method trends to happening with insufficient or excessive humidification. Phlegm scab formation is significantly less in group C. The B and C methods had equal humidification effects and need similar daily sputum inhalation nursing. Airway spasm was frequent happened in group A than that in groups B and C. Secondary infection happened in all groups, the number of infected patients showed a decreasing trend and the infection degree showed no difference in the first 7 days between group C and group A. And the severity but not the infection ratio significantly decreased in Group C on the 30 th day. Method A significantly reduced nursing workload, but gained the worst humidification effects. Collectively, C method is more suitable for the airway nursing of patients with severe traumatic brain injury.