Vapotherm Hi-VNI Technology Improved Ambulation Recovery Time by 32.5% vs. Standard Oxygen Therapy

• Study found that Hi-VNI Technology during ambulation is feasible
• Hi-VNI Technology improved recovery time amongst these patients by 32.5% versus standard oxygen therapy
• Hi-VNI Technology improved patient distance walked by 12.4% and duration of time walked by 8.5%. vs. standard oxygen therapy amongst the inpatient group of these patients

Vapotherm, Inc. announced that a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Respiratory Diseases and Care, titled “Assessing the Clinical Effect of High Velocity Nasal Insufflation on Improving Ambulation in Patients with Dyspnea: A Feasibility Study” demonstrated that use of Vapotherm Hi-VNI Technology during ambulation is feasible and showed that patients with dyspnea participating in this study who used Hi-VNI Technology as respiratory support walked farther and recovered faster when compared to standard oxygen treatment.

“These results show that the Vapotherm Transfer Unit not only provides support for hospital transfers across all departments, but also offers an important respiratory support option for clinicians managing inpatients requiring ambulation as part of their treatment,” said Joe Army, President and CEO of Vapotherm. “This study offers an additional proof point for clinicians that Hi-VNI Technology may help their patients, not just in general settings as Mask-Free NIV™ for spontaneously breathing patients, but also during ambulation and recovery.”

The feasibility study was a prospective cross-over trial that compared oxygen treatment as usual (TAU) to treatment with Hi-VNI Technology—which delivers high-velocity nasal insufflation (HVNI)—in 28 patients during ambulation in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The goal was to compare how far and for how long patients could ambulate on Hi-VNI Technology versus the standard TAU. Vital signs and recovery time were measured as secondary outcomes. 25 of the 28 patients were analyzed.

Among the inpatients in this study, Hi-VNI Technology during ambulation was not only feasible but also showed improved patient distance walked by 12.4% and duration of time walked by 8.5%. It also improved recovery time by 32.5%. Use was also feasible among outpatients undergoing ambulation, although outpatients performed worse than the inpatient subgroup studied.

These results are very encouraging for further research as well as demonstrating the feasibility of using Hi-VNI Technology in respiratory patient ambulation.

While this study was comparing Hi-VNI Technology to oxygen support, previous studies have demonstrated that Hi-VNI Technology is comparable to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV) when treating patients in undifferentiated respiratory distress. The Vapotherm Transfer Unit is a self-contained mobile means of delivering Hi-VNI Technology for patients on the move in the acute setting.