Heliox Therapy in Acute Severe Asthma

Acute Exacerbations and Respiratory Failure in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

“…An esophageal balloon often can be helpful in detecting and managing this phenomenon. In severe airway obstruction, uses of low-density gases (e.g., 80:20, 70:30, or 60:40 helium/oxygen or heliox) can help reduce patient inspiratory work and facilitate lung emptying (driving pressure decreases and/or flow increases through a tube as gas density decreases) (67). If a helium/oxygen gas mixture is used, many flow sensors must be recalibrated to account for the change in gas density.…”

Mechanical Ventilation During Pregnancy Using a Helium–Oxygen Mixture in a Patient With Respiratory Failure due to Status Asthmaticus

“…Kass and Castriotta. 9 evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of helium-oxygen breathing in 12 adult patients with status asthmaticus and respiratory acidosis (PaCO 2 >45 mm Hg), five of whom were receiving mechanical ventilation. With the administration of helium, there was a decrease in the PaCO 2 from 57.9±8.3 to 47.5±4.3 mm Hg and an increase in the pH from 7.23±0.07 to 7.32±0.04.…”

Helium-oxygen mixtures in acute respiratory failure

“…This physical property has made He a valuable adjunct to deep-sea diving gas mixtures. Furthermore, such an effect could prove helpful in the presence of increased airway resistance, and a beneficial impact of He-O 2 has indeed been documented in upper airway obstruction (4-7), asthma (8)(9)(10)(11), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (12). The favorable effects observed in these studies suggest that He-O 2 could play a major role in the therapeutic strategy of obstructive airway disease.…”