High flow nasal oxygen therapy in a young pregnant patient with hypoxemic respiratory failure due to H1N1 influenza viral infection

Pregnant women are at high risk of infection with the novel H1N1 influenza A virus. A 30-year-old pregnant woman at 35 weeks of gestation was admitted with acute onset fever, cough and shortness of breath with hypoxaemic respiratory failure. Laboratory investigations confirmed influenza A infection. This case report illustrates how High Flow Nasal Oxygen device gave good results in hypoxemic respiratory failure especially in the setting of possible unexpected infections and ventilator associated pneumonia.