Early high-flow nasal oxygen therapy in paediatric acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure: a cost analysis following a randomised controlled trial

The authors aimed to compare the total direct healthcare costs of nasal high flow (NHF) therapy versus standard oxygen therapy (SOT) as first-line treatments for pediatric acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure (AHRF). They found that NHF was significantly more expensive than SOT, with an average cost difference of $A1396 per patient, and did not demonstrate better clinical outcomes, particularly among non-responders. This highlights the need for more targeted use of NHF in this patient population.