Abstract
Background: Aim of the study was to compare the short-term effects of oxygen therapy via a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) on functional and subjective respiratory parameters in patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure in comparison to non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and standard treatment via a Venturi mask. Methods: Fourteen patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure were treated with HFNC (FiO2 0.6, gas flow 55 l/min), NIV (FiO2 0.6, PEEP 5 cm H2O Hg, tidal volume 6–8 ml/kg ideal body weight,) and Venturi mask (FiO2 0.6, oxygen flow 15 l/min,) in a randomized order for 30 min each. Data collection included objective respiratory and circulatory parameters as well as a subjective rating of dyspnea and discomfort by the patients on a 10-point scale. In a final interview, all three methods were comparatively evaluated by each patient using a scale from 1 (=very good) to 6 (=failed) and the patients were asked to choose one method for further treatment. Results: PaO2 was highest under NIV (129 ± 38 mmHg) compared to HFNC (101 ± 34 mmHg, p <0.01 vs. NIV) and VM (85 ± 21 mmHg, p <0.001 vs. NIV, p <0.01 vs. HFNC, ANOVA). All other functional parameters showed no relevant differences. In contrast, dyspnea was significantly better using a HFNC (2.9 ± 2.1, 10-point Borg scale) compared to NIV (5.0 ± 3.3, p <0.05), whereas dyspnea rating under HFNC and VM (3.3 ± 2.3) was not significantly different. A similar pattern was found when patients rated their overall discomfort on the 10 point scale: HFNC 2.7 ± 1.8, VM 3.1 ± 2.8 (ns vs. HFNC), NIV 5.4 ± 3.1 (p <0.05 vs. HFNC). In the final evaluation patients gave the best ratings to HFNC 2.3 ± 1.4, followed by VM 3.2 ± 1.7 (ns vs. HFNC) and NIV 4.5 ± 1.7 (p <0.01 vs. HFNC and p <0.05 vs. VM). For further treatment 10 patients chose HFNC, three VM and one NIV. Conclusions: In hypoxic respiratory failure HFNC offers a good balance between oxygenation and comfort compared to NIV and Venturi mask and seems to be well tolerated by patients.
Highlights
Sepsis is primarily a disease of the aged and 60% of sepsis occurs in patients older than 65 years, 80% of deaths due to sepsis occur in this age group
The purpose of the study is to elucidate the immunological changes that occur in Klotho mice after sepsis in order to identify therapeutic targets for sepsis that occurs in aged individuals
Poor survival in Klotho-septic mice may be associated with impaired bacterial clearance with decreased recruitment of neutrophils/macrophages in peritoneal cavity, elevated cytokines in serum, and increased apoptosis in thymus and spleen, following to impaired innate and adaptive immunity
Summary
Sepsis is primarily a disease of the aged and 60% of sepsis occurs in patients older than 65 years, 80% of deaths due to sepsis occur in this age group. The aim of this study was to determine the reasons behind out-of-hours discharges in our hospital and the effect this has on mortality This audit reviewed the discharge process of patients from an adult general ICU to the general wards before and after the introduction of a liaison nurse post over a 3-year, 3-month time period. The aim of this study was to establish and compare the quality and value of the summaries as judged by ICU doctors and GPs. The relationship between provider volume and patient outcome has been demonstrated for many medical and surgical services, including critical care. Methods In this single-centre observational study we aimed to quantify functional dependency at three different time points: discharge from ICU (DI), discharge from hospital (DH) and discharge from nursing home rehabilitation unit (DR) To this end we retrospectively assed Barthel scores (BS) for individual patients [1], with a duration of mechanical ventilation >48 hours.
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