Introduction
High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is commonly used as first step
respiratory support in infants with moderate-to-severe acute viral
bronchiolitis (AVB). This device, however, fails to effectively manage
respiratory distress in about a third of patients, and data are limited
on determinants of patient response. The respiratory rate-oxygenation
(ROX) index is a relevant tool to predict the risk for HFNC failure in
adult patients with lower respiratory tract infections. The primary
objective of this study was to assess the relationship between ROX
indexes collected before and 1 hour after HFNC initiation, and HFNC
failure occurring in the following 48 hours in infants with AVB.