University of Maryland School of Medicine logo
Emergency Medicine
All Departments
UMSOM Assistant
UMEM Educational Pearls
  • Home
  • Departments
  • Emergency Medicine
  • CME
  • UMEM Educational Pearls
  • CME
  • Courses and Conferences
  • Free Open Access Medical Education
  • UMEM Educational Pearls

Search

Title: High-Flow or Standard Oxygen for Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure?

Category: Critical Care

Posted: 4/7/2026 by Mike Winters, MBA, MD

In a large, randomized trial conducted in 42 ICUs in France, high-flow oxygen did not reduce 28-day all-cause mortality in adult patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure when compared to standard oxygen support.

Additional Information

The SOHO Trial

  • An investigator-initiated, open-label RCT
  • Conducted in 42 ICUs in France
  • Included adult patients who were admitted to the ICU with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure
  • Excluded patients with a COPD exacerbation, chronic lung disease, acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, hemodynamically unstable, or those who needed emergent intubation.
  • Patients were randomized to either a High-Flow oxygen group or a Standard oxygen group.
  • The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality.
  • Secondary outcomes included intubation by day 28, ventilator free days, ICU mortality, in-hospital mortality, 90-day mortality, and ICU/hospital LOS.
  • A total of 1,110 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis.  The High-Flow group had 556 patients and the Standard group had 554 patients.
  • The primary outcome occurred in 14.6% of patients in the High-Flow group and in 14.6% of patients in the Standard group.
  • With respect to secondary outcomes, the incidence of intubation at day 28 was lower in the High-Flow group.  In addition, the high-flow appeared to reduce dyspnea scores, and improve respiratory rates and CO2 values.
  • Limitations of the SOHO trial included a lower than expected mortality (underpowered) and a high percentage of patients with viral pneumonia.

University of Maryland School of Medicine logo
  • Departments
  • Programs
  • Research Centers
  • Institutes
  • Graduate Education
  • CIBR Cores
  • Offices of the Dean
    • University of Maryland, Baltimore
    • University of Maryland Medical Center
    • Medical Alumni Association of the University of Maryland
    • Health Sciences and Human Services Library
University of Maryland School of Medicine
655 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Contact Us

© University of Maryland School of Medicine

    • Webmaster
    • Web Accessibility
    • Site Index
    • UMB Hotline
    • Employment
    • Map