When a patient suffers from any condition that necessitates mechanical breathing, so this machine is required which passes oxygen. An oxygen cannula is managed if a patient is undergoing severe medical treatment. This high-flow nasal cannula provides optimum oxygen to a patient.
Airflow can improve by converting heat and humidity into high-flow oxygen. The result is an improvement in the health of the individual. There are two types of airflow systems available: Airvo and Optiflow.
Airvo vs Optiflow
Airvo and Optiflow are connected because one is the main oxygen supplier. The other is an interface to adjust the pressure level based on the requirements.
The AIRVO system uses Optiflow to provide heated and humidified high-flow delivery. It can treat adolescents and adults with asthma and other breathing conditions.
Optiflow and Airvo provide respiratory therapy to patients. Our objective in this article is to discuss the specifics of both systems.
The manufacturer Fisher & Paykel of Optiflow high-flow nasal cannulas aimed to guarantee that patients with any respiratory issue receive enough oxygen. In bad respiratory, the patient’s lungs are not functioning automatically. So in this condition, oxygen is required for their lungs by the high flow to stable breathing. Apnoeic ventilation term is used to describe this type. Doctors from different hospitals and clinics use this for throat surgery patients.
Fisher & Paykel brand also produces the Airvo product. It has a system of humidifiers that can produce heated and humid oxygen. Many known systems can use for transporting respiratory gases. It all can team up with the Airvo device. One of these is the Optiflow, which is best for Nasal cannulas.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | AIRVO | OPTIFLOW |
|---|---|---|
| mechanism | It humidifies the airflow. | It is managed as a Nasal cannula for tracheostomy. |
| Functionality | It heats the flow of oxygen that will deliver to a patient. | It combines respiratory gases for a super high flow. |
| gears | It has internal filters, heated plates, an inlet portal, tubes and connecting cables. | It has the interface of tracheostomy. Moreover, it has children’s nasal cannulas and adult cannulas. |
| assistances | You can set the temperature range and airflow range. | You can set pressure dynamically and the oxygen limit according to the patient. It adds a limitation to dead space and improves hydration. |
| FiO₂ rate | Manually oxygen flow rate is from 21-100%. | Software setting with a flow rate of 21-100% |
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What is Airvo?
Airvo is a manual high-flow oxygen source called HFNC. It is a category of the artificial respiratory system to provide an exact amount of oxygen to the patient. It has the power to flow oxygen. It is mainly humidified and heated air for asthmatic patients who have trouble breathing independently.
A patient with airway bypass surgery mostly requires this for a secure breathing process. With any interface, it can automatically generate high-flow gases. The design of the Airvo is quite subtle. A water cavity mounted on a heated plate allows the water to be humidified during the process.
During the operation of the machine, a heated breath tube is connected to a port to facilitate breathing. The delivery of oxygen depends on the person. If a person has piped-in oxygen, it may deliver up to 60 ml per minute. If a person has concentrators, they may deliver up to 10 ml per minute.
The plus point of the Airvo is; it washes out CO2 from your lungs and gives you relief in breathing. Another benefit is; a patient may not feel uncomfortable and easily tolerate the process.
Some of the major disadvantages are also there. The running techniques of this machine may always require some assistance from an expert. The device is costly, and many well-known hospitals have them in emergency rooms. Some may have problems related to their batteries which are not readily available in the market.
What is Optiflow?
It is generally known as the interface with the tracheostomy. This device is established to maintain the high flow of nasal oxygen. The heated flow rate is mainly fixed FiO₂ at a gas flow rate of up to 70 I.min.
There is a far-reaching range of oxygen concentrations and flows that can be delivered comfortably by Optiflow. It has the unique aptitude to replace traditional oxygen therapy devices with advanced healing capabilities of oxygen. It provides a new level of flexibility to the procedure.
As a result, oxygen therapy will redefine in a whole new way. It has some advanced features of mucociliary clearance and accurate delivery of oxygen. Moreover, it gives comfort in breathing, throwing out dead space and lowering the pressure according to the need.
It is one of the most effective therapy with just a face mask.
Main Differences Between Airvo and Optiflow
- An Airvo is a proper machine with an internal filter. On the other hand, Optiflow is an interface to reduce dead space for improving the upper airway.
- Airvo is mainly used with cannulas, tracheostomies and vented masks. However, Optiflow needs any device to attach with, like Airvo.
- There is no such big difference between them as they both need each other support for a better result.
- Airvo maintains control of the temperature and flow rate of the air (humidified). On the contrary, Optiflow supports airway functions and better throws air experience to a person.
- The airways are hydrated by protecting epithelium along the airways, and mucus is cleared more efficiently with this system.
- http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/59/8/1186.short
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003497515012229
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
