HFNC

Medical abbreviation · Respiratory

HFNC
Stands forHigh-flow nasal cannula
CategoriesMedical

HFNC stands for High-flow nasal cannula, a respiratory abbreviation.

Oxygen system delivering heated, humidified gas through wide nasal prongs at flows up to about 60 liters per minute in adults, with oxygen concentration adjustable up to 100 percent. It is widely used in hypoxemic respiratory failure, after extubation and in bronchiolitis in infants.

Example: HFNC 50 L/min, FiO2 0.6; ROX index 5.2 at 12 hours.

Usage notes

High flow washes out carbon dioxide from the upper airway, provides a small amount of positive pressure and is more comfortable than a tight mask. The FLORALI trial (2015) showed lower mortality than standard oxygen or noninvasive ventilation in hypoxemic failure. The ROX index, combining saturation, oxygen fraction and breathing rate, helps predict HFNC failure. Also called HFNO (high-flow nasal oxygen).

More respiratory abbreviations

  • FRC – Functional residual capacity
  • FVC – Forced vital capacity
  • GGO – Ground-glass opacity
  • GINA – Global Initiative for Asthma
  • GOLD – Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
  • HCAP – Healthcare-associated pneumonia
  • HP – Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
  • HSAT – Home sleep apnea test
  • HTX – Hemothorax
  • ICS – Inhaled corticosteroid
  • ILD – Interstitial lung disease
  • iNO – Inhaled nitric oxide

See all 109 respiratory abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.