Five Benefits Vapotherm HVT 2.0 Can Offer Small (Sometimes Rural) Hospitals

Does your hospital struggle finding a safe, effective, easy-to-use respiratory support option for stabilizing patients in respiratory distress?

Vapotherm’s HVT 2.0 advanced respiratory support platform provides fast and effective support for your patients in respiratory distress. HVT 2.0 prioritizes safety, comfort, and convenience for both patients and clinical staff. Learn how your facility can realize these benefits by testing the performance of HVT 2.0!

Let’s dive into the many benefits of the HVT 2.0 platform and how they provide solutions to the challenges of respiratory distress management in small (sometimes rural) hospitals:

1. Ease of Use

Setting up respiratory support devices can be time-consuming and complex. However, the HVT 2.0 provides a set-up to therapy delivery time of approximately 5 minutes, ensuring critical care for your patients when time matters. “An absolute game-changer”, is the reaction from the clinical staff at Newcastle Hospital in the UK:  Newcastle Pediatrics – Ease of Use. The HVT 2.0’s intuitive design and user-friendly touchscreen interface minimizes patient coaching and staff intervention and resources, allowing your staff to focus on delivering quality care rather than grappling with technology.

2. No Wall Air Needed!

The built-in blower, compact size of the device, and extended battery life of the HVT 2.0 allow staff to easily transfer patients throughout the hospital and to testing areas when needed.  The simplified machine design and improved portability allows ambulation of the patient.  Listen to this Newcastle Hospital therapist who attributes her ability to focus her attention on her patient to the new simplified design:  Newcastle Pediatrics – Parent’s get to Interact with their Children

This device was designed for streamlined mobility for the patient while providing high velocity therapy which has been shown to improve patient distance, duration and recovery times compared to treatment as usual in a feasibility study.[1] 

3. Effective Non-invasive Ventilation Strategy with Mask-Free Comfort

One of the key features of the HVT 2.0 is its ability to provide comfortable support for undifferentiated respiratory distress without the need for a mask. In a recent multicenter RCT, patients reported significantly more discomfort when treated with NiPPV than HVT at all time points.[3] For patients who may find traditional mask-based interfaces uncomfortable or claustrophobic, therapy delivery via nasal cannula interface may be an improvement in their care experience.[3] In addition, therapy intolerance sometimes results in escalation of care. By safely avoiding escalation, some patients may be able to be treated in a lower acuity care area within your hospital rather than transferring to an ICU.

“Improved patient outcomes” has been the experience of Newcastle Hospital staff where they have used high velocity therapy and the HVT 2.0 to avoid the need for mechanical ventilation  and/or positive pressure ventilation and ICU admission in their pediatric patients: Newcastle Pediatrics – CPAP & Escalations.

Vapotherm’s high velocity therapy is an effective non-invasive ventilation strategy for undifferentiated respiratory distress and a suitable alternative to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV) without additional risk of mechanical ventilation.[2,3] Additionally, high velocity therapy demonstrated similar physiological benefit and non-inferior changes in pH and PCO2 in moderate to severe acute hypercapnic COPD patients.[3] In the HYPERACT trial, Yamane et al., concluded high velocity therapy is a reasonable alternative for patients with acute exacerbation of COPD who present to the ED with hypercapnic respiratory distress, noting it  may lead to reduced rates of intubation for patients unable to tolerate NiPPV.[3] This recent research provides strong clinical support and offers providers confidence to use high velocity therapy for hypercapnic respiratory patients at your facility.

4. May Help Avoid Escalations in Care

High velocity therapy may help avoid escalation in care to mask-based therapy or intubation which in turn, may reduce certain patient transfers to tertiary facilities away from the support of their families during a time of health crisis.

In the HYPERACT trial evaluating the treatment of patients with acute COPD exacerbations, 11% of patients were treated effectively on high velocity therapy and able to be discharged home from the emergency department (ED) within 4 hours vs. 0% of patients on NiPPV.[3]  In the trial, they identified a potential to avoid admissions for certain COPD patients who receive high velocity therapy for hypercapnic respiratory distress in the ED. How might this positively affect the throughput at your facility?

5. On-Screen Troubleshooting and Alarms

Equipped with a large, intuitive touchscreen interface, the HVT 2.0 provides the healthcare team with quick therapy set-up. This feature provides caregivers with visibility and access to device settings at a glance without having to navigate through complex menus. The touchscreen interface simplifies the process of adjusting treatment settings, empowering all providers to make necessary adjustments with confidence.

To facilitate seamless operation and patient safety, the device features on-screen troubleshooting support and comprehensive alarm systems. In the event of device troubleshooting need, healthcare providers can quickly identify and address issues, thereby minimizing disruptions to patient care. These built-in safety features enhance the ease of care and further instill confidence in using the device for your patients.

Your patients and staff deserve the best and the HVT 2.0 represents an upgrade in the management of respiratory distress within small (and sometimes rural) hospital settings. By offering mask-free therapy, HVT 2.0 increases patient compliance and overall satisfaction with treatment as compared to NiPPV[3], potentially leading to improved outcomes. By prioritizing speed, safety, comfort, and ease of use, it elevates the standard of care for patients while enhancing the experience of the healthcare team. With its innovative features and user-friendly design, respiratory care delivery with HVT 2.0 is setting a new benchmark for excellence and patient experience.

SOURCES:

1. Siler, Thomas et al. Assessing the Clinical Effect of High Velocity Nasal Insufflation on Improving Ambulation in Patients with Dyspnea: A Feasibility Study. J Clin Respir Dis Care 2019, 5:2

2. Doshi P, Whittle JS & Bublewicz M et al. High-Velocity Nasal Insufflation in the Treatment of Respiratory Failure:  A Randomized Clinical Trial. Ann Emerg Med 2018; 72:73-83 e5

3. Yamane D.P., Jones C. & Wilkerson G. et. al., 42: High-Velocity Nasal Insufflation VS Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation for COPD Exacerbation. Critical Care Medicine 52(1):p S21, January 2024. DOI: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000998556.81699.a8 

CAUTION: US Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician. Indications, contraindications, warnings, and instructions for use can be found in the product labelling supplied with each device or at https://vapotherm.com/resources/support/precision-flow-reference/.  For spontaneously breathing patients. High Velocity Therapy (HVT) does not provide total ventilatory requirements of the patient. It is not a ventilator. Decisions surrounding patient care depend on the physician’s professional judgment in consideration of all available information for the individual case, including escalation of care depending on patient condition.