High flow nasal oxygen therapy as an alternative to mechanical ventilation in COVID+ patients in intensive care

Keywords: Oxygen therapy; Artificial lung ventilation; High-flow; Covid-19; Treatment of respiratory disease This thesis deals with supportive respiratory, ventilation, and non-invasive techniques of respiratory support related to the global Covid-19 pandemic that affected the lives of many people between 2020 and 2021. During this pandemic, high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (High- flow) emerged as a possible alternative to artificial lung ventilation in Covid-positive patients. The thesis addresses the issues related to the high-flow device, the experiences of nurses with it, and whether it can be an alternative to artificial lung ventilation for Covid-positive patients in intensive care. The theoretical part characterizes topics such as oxygen therapy, artificial lung ventilation, high-flow, Covid-19, treatment of respiratory disease, and the Hacor score. The empirical part is based on two conducted quantitative studies. The aim of the first quantitative survey was to determine whether the nurses are familiar with the high-flow device, its principles, usage, and whether they have received sufficient training on this device. The second quantitative survey aimed to illustrate the ventilation modes used in all hospitalized patients who underwent artificial lung ventilation or high-flow therapy to..