During the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong, hospitals were crowded with critically ill patients with difficulty breathing or lung failure, most of them elderly, resulting in an increase in the load on the intensive care unit (ICU).
In order to relieve severe patients, the Department of Internal Medicine introduced a high-flow nasal cannula to provide 100% pure oxygen for patients with acute respiratory failure, to help patients stabilize their breathing before being transferred to the ICU, to avoid intubation, continued use of an auxiliary ventilator or deterioration of the condition.
Yin Ronghua, a consultant doctor of the Intensive Care Department of Eastern District Hospital, was assigned to help in the internal medicine department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in mid-March. At that time, the HA arranged 200 high-flow nasal cannula oxygen machines in the internal medicine department, which greatly reduced the need for patients due to worsening conditions. transfer to the ICU.
Yin Ronghua (left), a consultant doctor in the intensive care department of Eastern District Hospital, said that the introduction of a high-flow nasal cannula oxygen machine in the internal medicine department can help patients stabilize their condition before being transferred to the ICU.
(Photo by Liang Sixing)
High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy is different from traditional oxygen therapy in that traditional oxygen is mixed with indoor air, and the oxygen inhaled by the patient is unstable; for patients with acute lung failure and difficulty breathing, high-flow nasal cannula can provide 100% of the oxygen volume , reduce the patient's forced breathing, the increase in the number of ventilations.
Yin Ronghua, a consultant doctor of the Intensive Care Department of Eastern District Hospital, explained that patients often suffer from diseases related to the respiratory system. Due to abnormal lungs and lack of oxygen in the body, the operation of other organs is affected.
He pointed out that "general patients use traditional oxygen to gently help them to breathe, and inhalation of 20 to 30 liters of oxygen per minute is sufficient." However, the patient's lung function has deteriorated and the oxygen supply needs to be increased to 40 to 50 liters. He does not recommend , "If the amount of oxygen is increased, the air ejected by the traditional oxygen machine will actually blow into a patient's nasal cavity, which is very dry and the oxygen is frozen, "the air feels like flying on an airplane"; but the oxygen ratio provided by high-flow nasal cannula therapy Traditional oxygen is warmer and more humid, and patients are more comfortable when they breathe in the aquarium." The patients inhaled enough oxygen and their condition was relatively stable. Yin Ronghua said that most people have improved within 4 to 5 days.
An additional 814 confirmed cases exceeded 800 for two consecutive days. Class 4E of Cai Jiyou Elementary School, a top school, had to suspend classes due to the outbreak. 20 places including Taikoo Shing, Lei Jing Wan, Park King Wan, etc. tested positive for sewage. Pollution Department of Health: Some customers will dance. The Federation of Trade Unions commented on the labor policy of the Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor government. The minimum wage is frozen for four years, and the minimum wage becomes the minimum vaccine pass.