Can Prophylactic High Flow of Humidified and Warmed Filtered Air Improve Survival from Bacterial Pneumonia and SARS-CoV-2 in Elderly Individuals? The Role of Surfactant Protein A

Abstract: In this opinion article, we discuss a serendipitous observation we made in a study investigating
survival in aged mice after bacterial infection. This observation involved a non-invasive
ventilation approach that led to variable and higher survival in male and female mice with different
genetic backgrounds for the innate immune molecule, surfactant protein A (SP-A). We suggest that
employing the best ventilatory modality, whether that be HFNC or another method, may augment
the role of other factors such as SP-A genetics and sex in a personalized approach, and may ultimately
improve the outcome.