Implementation of an ED-based bundled mechanical ventilation protocol improves adherence to lung-protective ventilation

Respiratory Therapist-Driven Mechanical Ventilation Protocol Is Associated With Increased Lung Protective Ventilation

BACKGROUND

Mechanical ventilation is a common life-saving procedure but can lead to serious complications, including ARDS and oxygen toxicity. Nonadherence to lung-protective ventilation guidelines is common. We hypothesized that a respiratory therapist-driven mechanical ventilation bundle could increase adherence to lung-protective ventilation and decrease the incidence of pulmonary complications in the ICU.

METHODS

A respiratory therapist-driven protocol was implemented on August 1, 2018, in all adult ICUs of a Midwestern academic tertiary center. The protocol targeted low tidal volume, adequate PEEP, limiting oxygen, adequate breathing frequency, and head of the bed elevation. Adherence to lung-protective guidelines and clinical outcomes were retrospectively observed in adult subjects admitted to the ICU and on ventilation for ≥ 24 h between January 2011 and December 2019.

RESULTS

We included 666 subjects; 68.5% were in the pre-intervention group and 31.5% were in the post-intervention group. After adjusting for body mass index and intubation indication, a significant increase in overall adherence to lung-protective ventilation guidelines was observed in the post-intervention period (adjusted odds ratio 2.48, 95% CI 1.73-3.56). Fewer subjects were diagnosed with ARDS in the post-intervention group (adjusted odds ratio 0.22, 95% CI 0.08-0.65) than in the pre-intervention group. There was no difference in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, ventilator-free days, ICU mortality, or death within 1 month of ICU discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

A respiratory therapist-driven protocol increased adherence to lung-protective mechanical ventilation guidelines in the ICU and was associated with decreased ARDS incidence.

Mechanical Ventilation Practices and Low Tidal Volume Ventilation in Air Medical Transport Patients: The AIR-VENT Study

BACKGROUND

The management of mechanical ventilation critically impacts outcome for patients with acute respiratory failure. Ventilator settings in the early post-intubation period may be especially influential on outcome. Low tidal volume ventilation in the prehospital setting has been shown to impact the provision of low tidal volume after admission and influence outcome. However, there is an overall paucity of data on mechanical ventilation for air medical transport patients. The objectives of this study were to characterize air medical transport ventilation practices and assess variables associated with nonprotective ventilation.

METHODS

This was a multi-center, nationwide (approximately 130 bases) retrospective cohort study conducted on consecutive, adult mechanically ventilated air medical transport patients treated in the prehospital environment. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the cohort; the chi-square test compared categorical variables, and continuous variables were compared using independent samples t test or Mann-Whitney U test. To assess for predictors of nonprotective ventilation, a multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to adjust for potentially confounding variables. Low tidal volume ventilation was defined as a tidal volume of ≤ 8 mL/kg predicted body weight (PBW).

RESULTS

A total of 68,365 subjects were studied. Height was documented in only 4,186 (6.1%) subjects. Significantly higher tidal volume/PBW (8.6 [8.3-9.2] mL vs 6.5 [6.1-7.0] mL) and plateau pressure (20.0 [16.5-25.0] cm H2O vs 18.0 [15.0-22.0] cm H2O) were seen in the nonpro-tective ventilation group (P < .001 for both). According to sex, females received higher tidal volume/PBW compared to males (7.4 [6.6-8.0] mL vs 6.4 [6.0-6.8] mL, P < .001) and composed 75% of those subjects with nonprotective ventilation compared to 25% male, P < .001. After multivariable logistic regression, female sex was an independent predictor of nonprotective ventilation (adjusted odds ratio 6.79 [95% CI 5.47-8.43], P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The overwhelming majority of air medical transport subjects had tidal volume set empirically, which may be exposing patients to nonprotective ventilator settings. Given a lack of PBW assessments, the frequency of low tidal volume use remains unknown. Performance improvement initiatives aimed at indexing tidal volume to PBW are easy targets to improve the delivery of mechanical ventilation in the prehospital arena, especially for females.

Low tidal volume ventilation is associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients-Insights from the PRoVENT-COVID study

Purpose

Low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) is associated with mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. We investigated the association of LTVV with mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Methods

Secondary analysis of a national observational study in COVID-19 patients in the first wave of the pandemic. We compared COVID-19 patients that received LTVV, defined as controlled ventilation with a median tidal volume ≤ 6 mL/kg predicted body weight over the first 4 calendar days of ventilation, with patients that did not receive LTVV. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. In addition, we identified factors associated with use of LTVV.

Results

Of 903 patients, 294 (32.5%) received LTVV. Disease severity scores and ARDS classification was not different between the two patient groups. The primary endpoint, 28-day mortality, was met in 68 out of 294 patients (23.1%) that received LTVV versus in 193 out of 609 patients (31.7%) that did not receive LTVV (P < 0.001). LTVV was independently associated with 28-day mortality (HR, 0.68 (0.45 to 0.95); P = 0.025). Age, height, the initial tidal volume and continuous muscle paralysis was independently associated with use of LTVV.

Conclusions

In this cohort of invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients, approximately a third of patients received LTVV. Use of LTVV was independently associated with reduced 28-day mortality. The initial tidal volume and continuous muscle paralysis were potentially modifiable factors associated with use of LTVV. These findings are important as they could help clinicians to recognize patients who are at risk of not receiving LTVV.

Quality Improvement Intervention associated with Improved Lung Protective Ventilation Settings in an Emergency Department

INTRODUCTION

Patients requiring endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation in the emergency department (ED) are critically ill, and their ventilator management is crucial for their subsequent clinical outcomes. Lung-protective ventilation (LPV) setting strategies are key considerations for this care. The objectives of this 2019-2020 community-based quality improvement project were to: a) identify patients at greater risk of not receiving LPV, and b) evaluate the effectiveness of a series of brief quality improvement educational sessions to improve LPV setting protocol adherence rates.

METHODS

A 15-month retrospective chart review of ventilator settings and subject characteristics (N = 200) was conducted before and after a series of 10-15-minute educational sessions were delivered to improve LPV adherence. This information was presented at a series of four educational sessions for 25 attending physicians (n = two sessions) and 27 residents at conferences (n = two sessions). Two additional materials (e.g., LPV reference charts, tape measures to gauge patients’ heights) were also posted in three ED resuscitation rooms and on cabinets containing emergency airway equipment. The pre and post-intervention occurrence rates of LPV setting orders were inferentially compared before and after educational sessions.

RESULTS

Patients ventilated using LPV increased from 70% to 82% after the educational sessions (p = 0.04). All patients who were 67 inches or greater in height were ventilated appropriately before and after sessions. For patients under 65 inches in height, post-session LPV adherence increased from 13% to 53% (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these results, a brief ED provider educational intervention can significantly improve the utilization of LPV guideline-based settings. Patients under 65 inches in height may also be especially at risk of receiving non-LPV ventilator setting orders.

Initiation of a Lung Protective Ventilation Strategy in the Emergency Department: Does an Emergency Department-Based ICU Make a Difference?

BACKGROUND:

Lung protective ventilation (LPV) is a key component in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome and other acute respiratory pathology. Initiation of LPV in the emergency department (ED) is associated with improved patient-centered and system outcomes, but adherence to LPV among ED patients is low. The impact of an ED-based ICU (ED-ICU) on LPV adherence is not known.

METHODS:

This single-center, retrospective, cohort study analyzed rates of adherence to a multifaceted LPV strategy pre- and post-implementation of an ED-ICU. LPV strategy components included low tidal volume ventilation, avoidance of severe hyperoxia and high plateau pressures, and positive end-expiratory pressure settings in alignment with best-evidence recommendations. The primary outcome was adherence to the LPV strategy at time of ED departure.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:

A total of 561 ED visits were included in the analysis, of which 60.0% received some portion of their emergency care in the ED-ICU. Adherence to the LPV strategy was statistically significantly higher in the ED-ICU cohort compared with the pre-ED-ICU cohort (65.8% vs 41.4%; p < 0.001) and non-ED-ICU cohort (65.8% vs 43.1%; p < 0.001). Among the ED-ICU cohort, 92.8% of patients received low tidal volume ventilation. Care in the ED-ICU was also associated with shorter ICU and hospital length of stay. These findings suggest improved patient and resource utilization outcomes for mechanically ventilated ED patients receiving care in an ED-ICU.

Low Tidal Volume Ventilation for Emergency Department Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Practice Patterns and Clinical Impact

OBJECTIVES

Data suggest that low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) initiated in the emergency department (ED) has a positive impact on outcome. This systematic review and meta-analysis quantify the impact of ED-based LTVV on outcomes and ventilator settings in the ED and ICU.

DATA SOURCES

We systematically reviewed MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, references, conferences, and ClinicalTrials.gov.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized and nonrandomized studies of mechanically ventilated ED adults were eligible.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently screened abstracts. The primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes included ventilation duration, lengths of stay, and occurrence rate of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We assessed impact of ED LTVV interventions on ED and ICU tidal volumes.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The search identified 1,023 studies. Eleven studies (n = 12,912) provided outcome data and were meta-analyzed; 10 additional studies (n = 1,863) provided descriptive ED tidal volume data. Overall quality of evidence was low. Random effect meta-analytic models revealed that ED LTVV was associated with lower mortality (26.5%) versus non-LTVV (31.1%) (odds ratio, 0.80 [0.72-0.88]). ED LTVV was associated with shorter ICU (mean difference, -1.0; 95% CI, -1.7 to -0.3) and hospital (mean difference, -1.2; 95% CI, -2.3 to -0.1) lengths of stay, more ventilator-free days (mean difference, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.4-2.4), and lower occurrence rate (4.5% vs 8.3%) of ARDS (odds ratio, 0.57 [0.44-0.75]). ED LTVV interventions were associated with reductions in ED (-1.5-mL/kg predicted body weight [PBW] [-1.9 to -1.0]; p < 0.001) and ICU (-1.0-mL/kg PBW [-1.8 to -0.2]; p = 0.01) tidal volume.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of LTVV in the ED is associated with improved clinical outcomes and increased use of lung protection, recognizing low quality of evidence in this domain. Interventions aimed at implementing and sustaining LTVV in the ED should be explored.