Chronic non-invasive ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Enhanced machine learning predictive modeling for delirium in elderly ICU patients with COPD and respiratory failure: A retrospective study based on MIMIC-IV

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Elderly patients with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory failure admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) have a poor prognosis, and the occurrence of delirium further worsens outcomes and increases hospitalization costs. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for delirium in this patient population and identify associated risk factors.

METHODS

Data for the machine learning model were obtained from the MIMIC-IV database. Feature variable screening was conducted using Lasso regression and the best subset method. Four models-K-nearest neighbor, random forest, logistic regression, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)-were trained and optimized to predict delirium risk. The stability of the model is evaluated using ten-fold cross validation and the effectiveness of the model on the validation set is evaluated using accuracy, F1 score, precision and recall. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was used to explain the importance of each variable in the model.

RESULTS

A total of 1,155 patients admitted to the intensive care unit between 2008 and 2019 were included in the study, with a delirium incidence of 12.9% (149/1,155). Among the four ML models evaluated, the XGBoost model demonstrated the best discriminative ability. In the validation set, it achieved an AUC of 0.932, indicating superior performance with high accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores of 0.891, 0.839, 0.795, and 0.810, respectively. Key features identified through SHAP analysis included the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) verbal score, length of hospital stay, mean SpO₂ on the first day of ICU admission, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation score, mean diastolic blood pressure, GCS motor score, gender, and duration of noninvasive ventilation. These findings provide valuable insights for individualized risk management.

CONCLUSIONS

The developed prediction model effectively predicts the occurrence of delirium in elderly COPD patients with respiratory failure in the ICU. This model can assist clinical decision-making, potentially improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

The Effects of Home High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Severe COPD and Frequent Exacerbations

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality globally. Exacerbations of COPD are major contributors to disease progression and a decline in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is an innovative therapy that provides humidified and heated blended air and oxygen through a nasal cannula. There is some preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of HFNC in managing COPD exacerbations, but there are limited data on its effectiveness when used at home for patients with stable, severe COPD. The aim of the present study is to test the hypothesis that home HFNC can decrease the COPD exacerbations rate and hospital admissions and improve HRQoL measures in severe COPD patients with frequent COPD exacerbations. Methods: In a prospective proof-of-concept interventional multicenter study, 40 GOLD stage III and IV COPD patients with a high disease burden (≥2 exacerbations treated with antibiotics and/or corticosteroids) and ≥1 hospital admission in the last year were included. Patients were given instructions on the usage of HFNC by a ventilation practitioner during a group session. The flow rate was 25-30 L/min and FiO2 was 21-35%. Outcome measures included the COPD exacerbations rate, hospital admissions, in-hospital days, Medical Research Council dyspnea (MRC) score, Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) score, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) scores and capillary pCO2. Repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. Significant effects identified in the ANOVA were further examined using Student's t-tests. Results: After 1 year, 27 patients could be evaluated. The COPD exacerbations rate decreased by 1.40 (mean difference ± SD: 1.40 ± 2.09; p = 0.002), hospital admissions decreased by 0.96 admissions per year (0.96 ± 1.37; p = 0.001), and in-hospital days decreased by 7.22 days (7.22 ± 9.26; p = 0.001). Capillary pCO2 decreased by 0.02 kPa (0.02 ± 0.52; p = 0.85). The CCQ score decreased by 0.06 (0.06 ± 0.96; p = 0.76). The MRC dyspnea score decreased by 0.04 (0.04 ± 0.80; p = 0.81). The HADS anxiety score decreased by 0.63 (0.63 ± 3.12; p = 0.31). And finally, the HADS depression score decreased by 0.32 (0.32 ± 3.48; p = 0.64). There was a significant difference between the normocapnic (capillary pCO2 < 6.0 kPa) group and the hypercapnic group in terms of change in the CCQ score (-0.24 ± 0.55 and 0.49 ± 1.32 decrease, respectively, p = 0.05) and the HADS depression score (-0.76 ± 1.86 and 2.20 ± 4.75 decrease, respectively, p = 0.03) after 1 year of HFNC treatment. Conclusions: One-year-long HFNC therapy significantly decreased the COPD exacerbations rate, hospital admissions, and in-hospital days in severe COPD patients with a high disease burden and frequent COPD exacerbations irrespective of them having hypercapnia and with the HRQoL measures only improving in the hypercapnic group. This may imply that severe COPD patients with a high disease burden and frequent COPD exacerbations, irrespective being hypercapnic, are candidates for treatment with home HFNC oxygen therapy.

[S3 Guideline: Treating Chronic Respiratory Failure with Non-invasive Ventilation]

The S3 guideline on non-invasive ventilation as a treatment for chronic respiratory failure was published on the website of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) in July 2024. It offers comprehensive recommendations for the treatment of chronic respiratory failure in various underlying conditions, such as COPD, thoraco-restrictive diseases, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, and neuromuscular diseases. An important innovation is the separation of the previous S2k guideline dating back to 2017, which included both invasive and non-invasive ventilation therapy. Due to increased scientific evidence and a significant rise in the number of affected patients, these distinct forms of therapy are now addressed separately in two different guidelines.The aim of the guideline is to improve the treatment of patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency using non-invasive ventilation and to make the indications and therapy recommendations accessible to all involved in the treatment process. It is based on the latest scientific evidence and replaces the previous guideline. This revised guideline provides detailed recommendations on the application of non-invasive ventilation, ventilation settings, and the subsequent follow-up of treatment.In addition to the updated evidence, important new features of this S3 guideline include new recommendations on patient care and numerous detailed treatment pathways that make the guideline more user-friendly. Furthermore, a completely revised section is dedicated to ethical issues and offers recommendations for end-of-life care. This guideline is an important tool for physicians and other healthcare professionals to optimize the care of patients with chronic respiratory failure. This version of the guideline is valid for three years, until July 2027.

Home Respiratory Strategies in Patients With COPD With Chronic Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure

BACKGROUND

Home noninvasive ventilation (NIV) may improve chronic hypercarbia in COPD and patient-important outcomes. The efficacy of home high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) as an alternative is unclear.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized trials of subjects from inception to March 31, 2023, and updated the search on July 14, 2023. We performed a frequentist network meta-analysis and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. We analyzed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing NIV, HFNC, or standard care in adult subjects with COPD with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. Outcomes included mortality, COPD exacerbations, hospitalizations, and quality of life (St George Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ]).

RESULTS

We analyzed 24 RCTs (1,850 subjects). We found that NIV may reduce the risk of death compared to standard care (relative risk 0.82 [95% CI 0.66-1.00]) and probably reduces exacerbations (relative risk 0.71 [95% CI 0.58-0.87]). HFNC probably reduces exacerbations compared to standard care (relative risk 0.77 [0.68-0.88]), but its effect on mortality is uncertain (relative risk 1.20 [95% CI 0.63-2.28]). HFNC probably improves SGRQ scores (mean difference -7.01 [95% CI -12.27 to -1.77]) and may reduce hospitalizations (relative risk 0.87 [0.69-1.09]) compared to standard care. No significant difference was observed between HFNC and NIV in reducing exacerbations.

CONCLUSIONS

Both NIV and HFNC reduce exacerbation risks in subjects with COPD compared to standard care. HFNC may offer advantages in improving quality of life.

Reducing Health Care Resource Utilization in COPD: A Retrospective Matched Control Analysis of a Digital Quality Improvement Program

Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that adds a significant economic burden to the health care system in the United States. Digital platforms integrated into clinical workflows have demonstrated success in improving patient outcomes in COPD, but few studies have explored the impact of an integrated digital and clinical approach on drivers of direct health care costs (COPD-related prescriptions, emergency department [ED] visits, and hospitalizations) in a real-world setting.

Methods

We conducted a 6-month retrospective matched control analysis to assess the impact of a digital quality improvement (QI) program delivered by clinical pharmacists on health care resource utilization among people living with COPD.

Results

Compared to matched controls at 6 months, participants in the digital QI program had a 66.7% relative reduction in COPD-related ED visits and hospitalizations (0.04±0.19 versus 0.12±0.44, p=0.044), as well as a 47% reduction in all-cause ED visits and hospitalizations (0.25±0.63 versus 0.47±1.09, p=0.059). Participants in the digital QI program also had higher rates of COPD-related prescription fills for antibiotics (0.43±0.93 versus 0.35±0.74, p=0.881) and oral corticosteroids (0.56±1.02 versus 0.36±0.91, p=0.045), as well as a greater number of COPD-related nonacute urgent care visits compared to matched controls (0.3±0.63 versus 0.14±0.44, p=0.027).

Conclusion

Digital health platforms integrated into a virtual clinical pharmacist workflow can help reduce costly COPD-related ED visits and hospitalizations, and shift utilization to less acute care. Care models integrating digital platforms may also offer a scalable approach to managing COPD and should be explored in different clinical settings.

Deventilation Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Using Nocturnal Noninvasive Ventilation: What Are the Underlying Mechanisms?

INTRODUCTION

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) commonly experience severe dyspnea after discontinuation of nocturnal noninvasive ventilation (NIV), known as deventilation syndrome (DVS), which negatively affects quality of life. Despite various hypotheses, the precise mechanisms of DVS remain unknown.

METHODS

An observational pilot study was performed monitoring 16 stable COPD patients before, during, and after an afternoon nap on NIV. Seven patients experienced DVS (Borg Dyspnea Scale ≥5), while nine served as controls (Borg Dyspnea Scale ≤2). Hyperinflation was evaluated through inspiratory capacity (IC) measurements and end-expiratory lung impedance (EELI) via electrical impedance tomography. Respiratory muscle activity was assessed by diaphragmatic surface electromyography (sEMG).

RESULTS

Post-NIV dyspnea scores were significantly higher in the DVS group (5 [3-7] vs. 0 [0-1.5], p < 0.001). IC values were lower in the DVS group compared to controls, both pre-NIV (54 [41-63] vs. 88 [72-94] %pred., p = 0.006) and post-NIV (45 [40-59] vs. 76 [65-82] %pred., p = 0.005), while no intergroup difference was seen in IC changes pre- and post-NIV. EELI values after NIV indicated a tendency towards lower values in controls and higher values in DVS patients. sEMG amplitudes were higher in the DVS group within the first 5-min post-NIV (221 [112-294] vs. 100 [58-177]% of baseline, p = 0.030).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that it is unlikely that DVS originates from the inability to create diaphragmatic muscle activity after NIV. Instead, NIV-induced hyperinflation in individuals with static hyperinflation may play a significant role. Addressing hyperinflation holds promise in preventing DVS symptoms in COPD patients.

Clinical evidence and technical aspects of innovative technology and monitoring of chronic NIV in COPD: a narrative review

INTRODUCTION

Chronic nocturnal noninvasive ventilation (NIV) improves outcomes in COPD patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. The aim of chronic NIV in COPD is to control chronic hypercapnic respiratory insufficiency and reduce symptoms of nocturnal hypoventilation, thereby improving quality of life. Chronic NIV care is more and more offered exclusively at home, enabling promising outcomes in terms of patient and caregiver satisfaction, hospital care consumption and cost reduction. Yet, to achieve and maintain optimal ventilation, during adaptation and follow-up, effective feasible (home) monitoring poses a significant challenge.

AREAS COVERED

Comprehensive monitoring of COPD patients receiving chronic NIV requires integrating data from ventilators and assessment of the patient's status including gas exchange, sleep quality, and patient-reported outcomes. The present article describes the physiological background of monitoring during NIV and aims to provide an overview of existing methods for monitoring, assessing their reliability and clinical relevance.

EXPERT OPINION

Patients on chronic NIV are 'ideal' candidates for home monitoring; the advantages of transforming hospital to home care are huge for patients and caregivers and for healthcare systems facing increasing patient numbers. Despite the multitude of available monitoring methods, identifying and characterizing the most relevant parameters associated with optimal patient well-being remains unclear.

Home non-invasive ventilation: An observational study of aetiology, chronic respiratory failure of multiple aetiologies, survival and treatment adherence

Home non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is used to treat patients with chronic respiratory failure (CRF). However, knowledge on the prevalence and impact of multimorbid aetiology of CRF, patterns of NIV use, and survival of these patients is limited. Our aim was to analyse the multiple aetiologies of CRF, patterns of NIV use and the outcome of those patients. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1,281 patients treated with home-NIV between 2004 and 2014 in Turku University Hospital, Finland. The patients were divided into nine disease categories: obstructive airways disease (16 %); obesity hypoventilation syndrome (11 %); neuromuscular disease (10 %); chest wall diseases (4 %); sleep apnoea (26 %); interstitial lung diseases (3 %); malignancy (2 %); other (3 %) and acute (8 %), which refers to the patients who did not fulfil criteria of CRF. In addition, multiple aetiologies of CRF were found in 17 %. Mean adherence to home-NIV was 6.0 ± 4.4 h/d and median treatment duration 410 (120-1021) days. Adherence, treatment duration or survival did not significantly differ between patients with either single or multiple causative diseases leading to CRF. Median survival was 4.5 years (95 % CI 3.6 to 5.4). The main reasons for discontinuing NIV were death (56 %) and lack of motivation (19 %). We conclude that home-NIV is used in a variety of diseases. CRF of multiple aetiologies is prevalent and not limited to chronic obstructive lung disease and obstructive sleep apnoea overlap syndrome. However, the adherence to home-NIV or survival did not differ between patients with a single or multiple diseases causing CRF, but the survival of the home-NIV patients differed according to the underlying aetiology of CRF.

Effects of non-invasive ventilation on sleep in chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure

Chronic respiratory disease can exacerbate the normal physiological changes in ventilation observed in healthy individuals during sleep, leading to sleep-disordered breathing, nocturnal hypoventilation, sleep disruption and chronic respiratory failure. Therefore, patients with obesity, slowly and rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease and chronic obstructive airways disease report poor sleep quality. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is a complex intervention used to treat sleep-disordered breathing and nocturnal hypoventilation with overnight physiological studies demonstrating improvement in sleep-disordered breathing and nocturnal hypoventilation, and clinical trials demonstrating improved outcomes for patients. However, the impact on subjective and objective sleep quality is dependent on the tools used to measure sleep quality and the patient population. As home NIV becomes more commonly used, there is a need to conduct studies focused on sleep quality, and the relationship between sleep quality and health-related quality of life, in all patient groups, in order to allow the clinician to provide clear patient-centred information.

Analysis and applications of respiratory surface EMG: report of a round table meeting

Surface electromyography (sEMG) can be used to measure the electrical activity of the respiratory muscles. The possible applications of sEMG span from patients suffering from acute respiratory failure to patients receiving chronic home mechanical ventilation, to evaluate muscle function, titrate ventilatory support and guide treatment. However, sEMG is mainly used as a monitoring tool for research and its use in clinical practice is still limited-in part due to a lack of standardization and transparent reporting. During this round table meeting, recommendations on data acquisition, processing, interpretation, and potential clinical applications of respiratory sEMG were discussed. This paper informs the clinical researcher interested in respiratory muscle monitoring about the current state of the art on sEMG, knowledge gaps and potential future applications for patients with respiratory failure.

Validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the S3-NIV questionnaire to evaluate long-term noninvasive ventilation

OBJECTIVES

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is an effective treatment for chronic respiratory failure (CRF). Patient-centered outcomes need to be evaluated regularly and the S3-NIV questionnaire seems an applicable tool. We translated this short, self-administered questionnaire into a Dutch version and tested its construct validity and reliability.

METHODS

An observational study was conducted, including 127 stable long-term NIV users with CRF or complex sleep related breathing disorders due to different underlying diseases: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (25%), slowly progressive neuromuscular disorders (35%), rapidly progressive neuromuscular disorders (12%) and 'other disorders' (28%) including complex sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Construct validity and reliability were tested.

RESULTS

The Dutch version of the questionnaire was obtained after a translation and back-translation process. Internal consistency of the total score was good (Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.78) as well as for the 'respiratory symptoms' subdomain and the 'sleep and side effects' subdomain (Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.78 and 0.69, respectively). The reproducibility was excellent with an intraclass correlation of 0.89 (95% CI 0.87-0.93). Construct validity was good for the 'respiratory symptoms' subdomain.

CONCLUSION

The Dutch S3-NIV questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool to evaluate symptoms, sleep, and NIV related side effects in long-term NIV users.

Home noninvasive ventilation in severe COPD: in whom does it work and how?

Background

Not all hypercapnic COPD patients benefit from home noninvasive ventilation (NIV), and mechanisms through which NIV improves clinical outcomes remain uncertain. We aimed to identify "responders" to home NIV, denoted by a beneficial effect of NIV on arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and survival, and investigated whether NIV achieves its beneficial effect through an improved PaCO2.

Methods

We used individual patient data from previous published trials collated for a systematic review. Linear mixed-effect models were conducted to compare the effect of NIV on PaCO2, HRQoL and survival, within subgroups defined by patient and treatment characteristics. Secondly, we conducted a causal mediation analysis to investigate whether the effect of NIV is mediated by a change in PaCO2.

Findings

Data of 1142 participants from 16 studies were used. Participants treated with lower pressure support (<14 versus ≥14 cmH2O) and with lower adherence (<5 versus ≥5 h·day-1) had less improvement in PaCO2 (mean difference (MD) -0.30 kPa, p<0.001 and -0.29 kPa, p<0.001, respectively) and HRQoL (standardised MD 0.10, p=0.002 and 0.11, p=0.02, respectively), but this effect did not persist to survival. PaCO2 improved more in patients with severe dyspnoea (MD -0.30, p=0.02), and HRQoL improved only in participants with fewer than three exacerbations (standardised MD 0.52, p=0.03). The results of the mediation analysis showed that the effect on HRQoL is mediated partially (23%) by a change in PaCO2.

Interpretation

With greater pressure support and better daily NIV usage, a larger improvement in PaCO2 and HRQoL is achieved. Importantly, we demonstrated that the beneficial effect of home NIV on HRQoL is only partially mediated through a reduction in diurnal PaCO2.

LncRNA H19 Contributes to Smoke-Related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Targeting miR-181/PDCD4 Axis

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) kills more than 3 million people worldwide every year. Despite progress in the treatment of symptoms and prevention of acute exacerbations, few advances have been made to ameliorate disease progression or affect mortality. Exercise plays a positive role in the prevention and treatment of diaphragm dysfunction in COPD, and the changes in diaphragm structure and function induced by exercise are closely related to the regulation of oxidative stress. But the mechanism remains unclear. So the aim of this study was to reveal the therapeutic mechanism of exercise to COPD using both in vivo and in vitro experiments. In this study, cigarette smoke (CS) induced COPD mice model, treadmill aerobic training for COPD mice were constructed and cigarette smoke extract (CSE) induced bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) model were used for COPD study. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporting analysis, and RT-qPCR detection were used to clarify the interacted relationship among lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA. ROS, inflammatory cytokines expression, and EMT relative protein α-SMA were detected using immunofluorescence and ELISA detection. The result shows that exercise ameliorates COPD induced lung injury by inhibit ROS, inflammation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) relative protein α-SMA expression. RT-qPCR detection shows that lnc-H19 expression was increased in lung tissues of COPD mice. Exercise decreased COPD induced lnc-H19 expression. Downregulation lnc-H19 inhibits COPD mediated lung injury. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporting analysis confirmed that miR-181 and PDCD4 were downstream targets of lnc-H19. Upregulation of PDCD4 or downregulation of miR-181 reversed the protective effect of si-lnc-H19 to BECs after exposure to CSE. In conclusion, lncRNA H19 contributes to smoke-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by targeting miR-181/PDCD4 Axis.

Acute COPD exacerbation treatment with noninvasive ventilation

The establishment of a guideline for long-term noninvasive ventilation treatment (LTH-NIV) of acute hypercapnic exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) requiring acute ventilation has proven elusive. Most studies thus far have shown no mortality benefit of long-term noninvasive ventilation treatment. Using retrospective analysis of the data of our patients (n = 143) recruited from 2012 to 2019, we aimed to compare patients discharged with and without long-term noninvasive ventilation. The follow-up results showed no significant difference (p = 0.233) between the groups [LTH-NIV (n = 83); non-NIV (n = 60)] regarding readmission due to clinical worsening. However, the first- and second-year survival rates were 82% and 72%, respectively, in the LTH-NIV group and significantly different (p = 0.023) from 67 and 55% in the non-NIV group. The statistical models showed a significant mortality risk for the non-NIV group, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.82 (1.31; 6.03). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the mortality benefit of long-term NIV therapy for patients with AECOPD under real-world conditions.

Which model is better in predicting the survival of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma?: Comparison of the random survival forest based on machine learning algorithms to Cox regression: analyses based on SEER database

Prediction of postoperative survival for laryngeal carcinoma patients is very important. This study attempts to demonstrate the utilization of the random survival forest (RSF) and Cox regression model to predict overall survival of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and compare their performance. A total of 8677 patients diagnosed with LSCC from 2004 to 2015 were obtained from surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database. Multivariate imputation by chained equations was applied to filling the missing data. Lasso regression algorithm was conducted to find potential predictors. RSF and Cox regression were used to develop the survival prediction models. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), Brier score, and calibration plot were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the 2 models. For 3-year survival prediction, the C-index in training set were 0.74 (0.011) and 0.84 (0.013) for Cox and RSF respectively. For 5-year survival prediction, the C-index in training set were 0.75 (0.022) and 0.80 (0.011) for Cox and RSF respectively. Similar results were found in validation set. The AUC were 0.795 for RSF and 0.715 for Cox in the training set while the AUC were 0.765 for RSF and 0.705 for Cox in the validation set. The prediction error curves for each model based on Brier score showed the RSF model had lower prediction errors both in training group and validation group. What's more, the calibration curve displayed similar results of 2 models both in training set and validation set. The performance of RSF model were better than Cox regression model. The RSF algorithms provide a relatively better alternatives to be of clinical use for estimating the survival probability of LSCC patients.

Effect of compliance to continuous positive airway pressure on exacerbations, lung function and symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea (overlap syndrome)

INTRODUCTION

Patients with overlap syndrome (OS), that is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are at increased risk of acute exacerbations related to COPD (AECOPD). We assessed the effect of CPAP compliance on AECOPD, symptoms and pulmonary function in OS patients.

METHODS

Consecutive OS patients underwent assessment at baseline and at 12 months under treatment with CPAP of: AECOPD and hospitalizations, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) questionnaires, pulmonary function testing and 6-min walking test (6MWT).

RESULTS

In total, 59 patients (54 males) with OS were followed for 12 months and divided post hoc according to CPAP compliance into: group A with good (≥4 h CPAP use/night, n = 29) and group B with poor (<4 h CPAP use/night, n = 30) CPAP compliance. At 12 months, group A showed improvements in FEV₁ (p = 0.024), total lung capacity (p = 0.024), RV/TLC (p = 0.003), 6MWT (p < 0.001) and CAT (p < 0.001). COPD exacerbations decreased in patients with good CPAP compliance from baseline to 12 months (17 before vs. 5 after, p = 0.001), but not in those with poor compliance (15 before vs. 15 after, p = 1). At multivariate regression analysis, COPD exacerbations were associated with poor CPAP compliance (β = 0.362, 95% CI: 0.075-0.649, p = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

When compared to poorly compliant patients, OS patients with good CPAP compliance had a lower number of AECOPD and showed improved lung function and COPD related symptoms.

Long-term health-related quality of life in patients on home mechanical ventilation

Background

It is fundamental to optimize and retain health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the long term in patients with home mechanical ventilation (HMV). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the evolution of the HRQoL in patients already established on HMV across a period of 5 years and whether the HRQoL is associated with mortality.

Methods

This was a 5-year longitudinal cohort study conducted in an Outpatient Ventilation Clinic. Consecutive patients on HMV for at least 30 days responded to the Severe Respiratory Insufficiency (SRI) questionnaire at inclusion and again at 5 years.

Results

A total of 104 patients were included (male 56.7%, median age 69 [P25;P75] [61;77] years). Almost half of the patients had COPD (49.0%). Patients were on HMV for a median of 43.5 [22;85.5] months, with overall good adherence (median 8 [6;9] daily hours). Fifty-seven (54.8%) patients were alive at 5 years. In surviving patients, the only difference with statistical significance was in the attendant symptoms and sleep subscale, with patients scoring 7.1 [-4.5;25] points higher in the final questionnaire (p = 0.002). Survivors had significantly better scores in the SRI at inclusion than deceased patients (median 59.6 [49.2;71.7] vs 48.7 [38.4;63.2]; p = 0.004).

Conclusions

These results shows that HRQoL remains stable in surviving patients with HMV at five years. It also suggests that SRI can be of important prognostic value and help predict the terminal phase of the disease course in patients with long-term HMV.

Acute effects of NIV on peripheral muscle function and aerobic performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a pilot study

Background

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) reduces respiratory load and demands on peripheral muscles.

Methods

This study aims to evaluate the acute effects of bi-level NIV on peripheral muscle function during isokinetic exercise and aerobic performance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. This is a pilot crossover study performed with a non-probabilistic sample of 14 moderate to very severe COPD patients. Procedures carried out in two days. Dyspnea, quality of life, lung function, respiratory muscle strength, functional capacity (6-min walk test—6MWT), and isokinetic assessment of the quadriceps were assessed. Blood samples (lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase concentration) were also collected. Right after, NIV was performed for 30 min (bi-level or placebo, according to randomization) followed by new blood sample collection, 6MWT, and isokinetic dynamometer tests. Before and after evaluations, the subjective perception of dyspnea and fatigue in the lower limbs was quantified. After a wash-out period of seven days, participants returned, and all assessments were performed again.

Results

NIV showed improvements in perceived exertion and dyspnea after isokinetic exercise (p < 0.02 and p < 0.05, respectively).

Conclusions

NIV improves the perception of dyspnea and fatigue during the isokinetic exercise.

Internet of things-based home noninvasive ventilation in COPD patients with hypercapnic chronic respiratory failure: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has become evidence-based care for stable hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. There are still other challenges including appropriate follow-up, telemonitor, and management to ensure treatment effectiveness, compliance, and security and to improve quality of life. The Internet of things (IOT) is the name given to the network of devices and other “things” with built-in sensors, software, electronics, and network connectivity, communicating these objects over wireless networks and sending data to a cloud platform. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the IOT-based management of NIPPV for the COPD patients with hypercapnic chronic respiratory failure.

Methods

This multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted with a total of 200 COPD patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. Using a computer-generated randomization process, patients were randomized (in a 1:1 ratio) into the usual NIPPV (control group) or to receive additional IOT-based management (intervention group) for 12 months. The primary outcome was the Severe Respiratory Insufficiency (SRI) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included compliance with the ventilator, gas exchange, lung function, health-related quality of life, hospitalization frequency, time to death within 1-year, all-cause mortality, safety analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Discussion

This study will be the first and largest randomized trial in China to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the IOT-based management of NIPPV for COPD patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. The results will help to understand the current situation of IOT-based home ventilation and may provide new evidence for home NIPPV treatment and management in the future.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trials Registry ChiCTR1800019536. Registered on 17 November 2018.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-022-06372-z.

Risks of postoperative respiratory failure in elderly patients after hip surgery: a retrospective study

Background

The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the determinants of postoperative respiratory failure in elderly patients with hip fracture.

Methods

The subjects of this study were 663 elderly patients who had hip fracture and had been treated with total hip arthroplasty at our hospital from January 2014 to May 2020. According to the occurrence of postoperative respiratory failure, 626 patients with no respiratory failure were retrospectively included in the control group, and 37 cases combined with respiratory failure were enrolled in the PRF group. The clinical and surgical data of the two groups were collected and analyzed to evaluate the determinants of respiratory failure by logistic regression analysis.

Results

There were no significant differences in the demographics and baseline variables including age, gender, fracture type and location between the groups (P > 0.05). All patients received hip surgery including total hip arthroplasty (THA), hemiarthroplasty (HA) and internal fixation with PFNA (proximal femoral nail anti-rotation). There were no significant differences in operative time and intraoperative blood loss between the groups (P > 0.05). However, close associations were found between pulmonary hypertension (univariate analysis: OR = 3.792, 95% CI = 1.421–10.203; multivariate analysis: OR = 1.132, 95% CI = 1.003–1.251), obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 1.119, 95% CI = 1.009–1.238; multivariate analysis: OR = 13.298, 95% CI = 4.021–43.298), bronchiectasis and emphysema (OR = 4.949, 95% CI = 1.919–9.873; multivariate analysis: OR = 11.231, 95% CI = 187.87), and history of respiratory failure (OR = 6.098, 95% CI = 2.012–12.198; multivariate analysis: OR = 8.389, 95% CI = 2.391–21.982) with postoperative respiratory failure (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Pulmonary hypertension, abnormal lung texture, obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, emphysema, history of respiratory failure, and hypoproteinemia may be risk factors for postoperative respiratory failure in elderly patients with hip fracture.