1,721,033 research outputs found
From intermediate intensive unit to home care.
No full textThe procedure of discharging the chronically ill respiratory patient from an intermediate intensive care unit (IICU) is always difficult and requires multidisciplinary intervention. A complete clinical and functional evaluation is necessary during the period of hospitalization to determine the weaning possibilities and the respiratory performance of the patient in care. In-hospital management should also be able to produce an accurate plan for home care, especially in those subjects for whom ventilatory support cannot be denied. Appropriate instruction for the care-givers involved must be provided. Funding requirements should be carefully evaluated. Four hundred and sixty five chronically, critically ill respiratory patients were admitted to our cardiopulmonary IICU (34\% of the total patients admitted) coming from intensive care units (ICUs) or other departments. The death rate was 6\%. Six patients were transferred to an ICU due to urgent necessity. Three hundred and thirty eight subjects were mechanically-ventilated (115 invasively), and 23 were finally admitted to a long-term home-care programme. Nowadays, the respiratory IICU can be considered a new hospital ward, where appropriate monitoring can be performed and accurate evaluation for discharge should be planned. Knowledge of worldwide experience is necessary to establish the best way to discharge patients from a respiratory IICU and to eventually recommend them for a home-care programme
Respiratory monitoring in an intermediate intensive unit.
No full textThe major goal of monitoring is continuous recording of indices that enhance our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, in order to improve diagnosis and guide management, and identify trends that assist in assessing the therapeutic response and predicting prognosis. Nowadays, technology has made it possible to automatically sense and display a wide variety of physiological indices. An ideal monitoring system should be pertinent to patient management, propose interpretable data, show high technical accuracy, high sensitivity, good reproducibility, be practical to use. The international literature, our personal experience, and cost considerations have proposed the following monitoring standards as the best for a noninvasive respiratory intermediate intensive care unit (RIICU): 1) mandatory indices: respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, haemogas-analysis, tidal volume, minute ventilation, maximum voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity, vital capacity, maximal inspiratory pressure, heart rate and blood pressure; 2) second choice indices: capnometry, respiratory inductive plethysmography, transcutaneous monitoring of gases, haemodynamic monitoring, mechanics data by means of an oesophageal balloon, and central drive. Pulmonary monitoring devices shorten the time for patients who remain on mechanical ventilators; a reduction both in the risk of associated complications and the costs involved is a natural consequence. Continuous monitoring of significant physiological indices has the potential for predicting a critical event, and providing an opportunity for the institution of lifesaving measures
Different modes of noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) in acute exacerbations of COLD patients.
No full textPatients with chronic obstructive lung disease may suffer from acute exacerbations of their disease, which may lead to acute respiratory failure necessitating endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. We have compared retrospectively the results obtained with nasal positive pressure ventilation and those of standard medical therapy in acute relapses of severe COLD. The study showed that nasal IPPV (NIPPV) in control mode delivered for approximately 1 h, four times daily, six days a week over a 21 day period, does not result in independent improvement of acute exacerbation of COLD. In the next study the data seem to indicate, in apparent contrast, a marked reduction in the need for endotracheal intubation using noninvasive ventilation, both with assist-control and pressure support noninvasive modes, in comparison with an historical control group. We did not find a significant difference in the success rate of the two modes, but compliance to noninvasive ventilation was better with pressure support. In the former study patients showing neurological signs and requiring mechanical ventilation were excluded, while in the last study patients were selected on the basis of necessity of mechanical ventilation. The fact that in the last study, ventilation was applied by face mask instead of nasal mask may have influenced results. Further efforts are required to determine whether non-invasive ventilation is more a preventive measure to avoid endotracheal intubation, or is another means of delivering ventilatory support
Hospital monitoring, setting and training for home non invasive ventilation.
Full text linkAlthough in recent years guidelines have been published in order to define indications, applications and delivery of long-term home non invasive mechanical ventilation (HNMV), there is lack of information with regards to in-hospital assessment, planning and training to initiate and prescribe it. Discontinuation and lack of compliance versus HNMV may affect the follow-up of these patients adding a costly burden for care. The present review proposes an operative flow chart for optimisation of HNMV prescription from initial patient's selection to post discharge follow up including; 1. assessment of the correct choice of ventilator, interfaces, ventilation setting. 2. Timing for different physiological monitoring (arterial gases, mechanics, sleep) 3. Timing for clinical evaluation, machine adaptation, carer training and long term follow-up
Acute effects of deep diaphragmatic breathing in COPD patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency.
Full text linkThis study investigated the impact of deep diaphragmatic breathing (DB) on blood gases, breathing pattern, pulmonary mechanics and dyspnoea in severe hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients recovering from an acute exacerbation. Transcutaneous partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Ptc,CO2) and oxygen (Ptc,O2) and arterial oxygen saturation (Sa,O2), were continuously monitored in 25 COPD patients with chronic hypercapnia, during natural breathing and DB. In eight of these patients, breathing pattern and minute ventilation (V'E) were also assessed by means of a respiratory inductance plethysmography. In five tracheostomized patients, breathing pattern and mechanics were assessed by means of a pneumotachograph/pressure transducer connected to an oesophageal balloon. Subjective rating of dyspnoea was performed by means of a visual analogue scale. In comparison to natural breathing deep DB was associated with a significant increase in Ptc,O2 and a significant decrease in Ptc,CO2, with a significant increase in tidal volume and a significant reduction in respiratory rate resulting in increased V'E. During DB, dyspnoea worsened significantly and inspiratory muscle effort increased, as demonstrated by an increase in oesophageal pressure swings, pressure-time product and work of breathing. We conclude that in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with chronic hypercapnia, deep diaphragmatic breathing is associated with improvement of blood gases at the expense of a greater inspiratory muscle loading
Physiological effects of posture on mask ventilation in awake stable chronic hypercapnic COPD patients.
No full textStable chronic hypercapnic patients are often prescribed long-term mask noninvasive pressure support ventilation (NPSV). There is a lack of information on the effects of posture on NPSV. Therefore posture induced changes in physiological effects of NPSV in awake stable chronic hypercapnic patients were evaluated. In 12 awake chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients breathing pattern, respiratory muscles, mechanics and dyspnoea (by visual analogue scale: VAS) were evaluated during spontaneous breathing (SB) in sitting posture and during NPSV in sitting, supine and lateral positions randomly assigned. Arterial blood gases were evaluated during SB and at the end of the last NPSV session (whatever the posture). As expected NPSV resulted in a significant improvement in carbon dioxide tension in arterial blood (Pa,CO2) (from 7.4+/-0.85 to 6.9+/-0.7 kPa). When compared with SB, sitting NPSV resulted in a significant increase in tidal volume and minute ventilation and in a significant decrease in breathing frequency. Inspiratory muscle effort as assessed by oesophageal pressure swings and pressure-time product per minute (from 14+/-4.8 to 6.2+/-3.5 cmH2O, and from 240+/-81 to 96+/-60 cmH2O x s x min(-1) respectively), intrinsic dynamic positive end expiratory pressure (from 2.7+/-2.3 to 1.4+/-1.3 cmH2O) and expiratory airway resistance (from 18+/-7 to 5+/-3 cmH2O x L x s(-1)) decreased during sitting NPSV, whereas VAS did not change. Changing posture did not significantly affect any parameter independently of the patients weight, whether obese or not. In awake stable hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients changing posture does not significantly influence breathing pattern and respiratory muscles during noninvasive pressure support ventilation suggesting that mask ventilation may be performed in different positions without any relevant difference in its effectiveness
Non-invasive haemodynamic effects of two nasal positive pressure ventilation modalities in stable chronic obstructive lung disease patients.
No full textThe aim of this study was to compare the haemodynamic effects of a 45-min session of two modalities of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (nPPV), by means of cardiac echo-Doppler and right heart catheterization, in chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency. Fourteen patients with stable COPD (11 males, mean age 62.9 +/- 9.8 years) underwent right heart catheterization using a floating Grandjean catheter and simultaneous echo-Doppler measurements before and during two randomly applied 45-min ventilatory sessions, consisting of nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation in assist/control mode (nIPPV) and nasal pressure support ventilation (nPSV). Blood gases improved significantly during both modalities of ventilation. A significant increase during ventilatory sessions was found in invasive pulmonary right atrial pressure and cardiac output. A statistically significant decrease was found in the flow velocity peak of the superior vena cava and hepatic vein, and in systodiastolic flow velocity integral of the superior vena cava and hepatic vein. The inferior vena cava collapsibility index also decreased significantly during both ventilations. Right atrium diameter and area significantly decreased while right ventricular diameter significantly increased. The echo-Doppler cardiac output decreased significantly while systolic pulmonary artery pressure increased. A short session of both nIPPV and nPSV even without PEEP can induce significant haemodynamic changes in patients with stable COPD. Two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography is a non-invasive device with sufficient reliability to monitor the haemodynamic effects of nPPV. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of nPPV on vascular peripheral flows
Acute exacerbations in patients with COPD: predictors of need for mechanical ventilation.
No full textPredictive factors in mechanically-ventilated patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been extensively studied but not in spontaneously breathing patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the contribution of parameters of respiratory mechanics, clinical and nutritional status in predicting the need for mechanical ventilation (MV) in COPD patients treated with medical therapy for an acute exacerbation. Anthropometric data, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, bedside spirometry, breathing pattern, respiratory mechanics and blood gases were measured in 39 COPD patients upon hospital admission for exacerbation of their disease. Fourteen patients in whom MV was necessary were compared with 25 patients in whom medical therapy was enough for a good outcome. The discriminant analysis showed, with decreasing order of power, that nutritional prognostic index (NPI), APACHE II score, forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio, vital capacity (VC) (\% predicted) and FVC (\% pred) provided a significant distinction between the two groups. The discriminant equation considering NPI, and FVC (\% pred) could correctly predict the success in 76\% of the patients. A multiparametric stepwise regression analysis showed that APACHE II score was significantly correlated with NPI, VC (\% pred), pressure time index (PTI) and duty cycle, i.e. fraction of inspiration to duration of total breathing cycle (tl/ttot). In conclusion, underlying general conditions as assessed by malnutrition and APACHE II score were shown to be unfavourable indices of outcome for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who experienced an exacerbation of their disease and were treated with medical therapy. Flow limitation data as assessed by the forced expiratory manoeuvre may provide additional information
Differences in spontaneous breathing pattern and mechanics in patients with severe COPD recovering from acute exacerbation.
No full textThe aims of this study were to assess spontaneous breathing patterns in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) recovering from acute exacerbation and to assess the relationship between different breathing patterns and clinical and functional parameters of respiratory impairment. Thirty-four COPD patients underwent assessment of lung function tests, arterial blood gases, haemodynamics, breathing pattern (respiratory frequency (fR), tidal volume (VT), inspiratory and expiratory time (tI and tE), duty cycle (tI/ttot), VT/tI) and mechanics (oesophageal pressure (Poes), work of breathing (WOB), pressure-time product and index, and dynamic intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEPi,dyn)). According to the presence (group 1) or absence (group 2) of Poes swings during the expiratory phase (premature inspiration), 20 (59\%) patients were included in group 1 and 14 (41\%) in group 2. Premature inspirations were observed 4.5+/-6.4 times x min(-1) (range 1-31), i.e. 20+/-21\% (3.7-100\%) of total fR calculated from VT tracings. In group 1 the coefficient of variation in VT, tE, tI/ttot, PEEPi,dyn, Poes and WOB of the eight consecutive breaths immediately preceding the premature inspiration was greater than that of eight consecutive breaths in group 2. There were no significant differences in the assessed parameters between the two groups in the overall population, whereas patients with chronic hypoxaemia in group 1 showed a more severe impairment in clinical conditions, mechanics and lung function than hypoxaemic patients in group 2. In spontaneously breathing patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease recovering from an acute exacerbation, detectable activity of inspiratory muscles during expiration was found in more than half of the cases. This phenomenon was not associated with any significant differences in anthropometric, demographic, physiological or clinical characteristics
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