Long-term Home Oxygen Therapy Research Articles

Microbial variations in sputum cultures among hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia: differences in sputum microbiota between asthma and COPD patients.

To assess differences in the sputum microbiota of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients with either COPD or asthma, specifically focusing on a patient population in Turkey. This retrospective study included hospitalized patients > 18 years of age with a diagnosis of pneumonia between January of 2021 and January of 2023. Participants were recruited from two hospitals, and three patient groups were considered: CAP patients with asthma, CAP patients with COPD, and CAP patients without COPD or asthma. A total of 246 patients with CAP were included in the study, 184 (74.8%) and 62 (25.2%) being males and females, with a mean age of 66 ± 14 years. Among the participants, 52.9% had COPD, 14.2% had asthma, and 32.9% had CAP but no COPD or asthma. Upon analysis of sputum cultures, positive sputum culture growth was observed in 52.9% of patients. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 40), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 20), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 16), and Moraxella catarrhalis (n = 8). CAP patients with COPD were more likely to have a positive sputum culture (p = 0.038), a history of antibiotic use within the past three months (p = 0.03), utilization of long-term home oxygen therapy (p < 0.001), and use of noninvasive ventilation (p = 0.001) when compared with the other patient groups. Additionally, CAP patients with COPD had a higher CURB-65 score when compared with CAP patients with asthma (p = 0.004). This study demonstrates that CAP patients with COPD tend to have more severe presentations, while CAP patients with asthma show varied microbial profiles, underscoring the need for patient-specific management strategies in CAP.

Rural-Urban Differences in Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in ChengDu, China.

The rural-urban gap in sociodemographic, lifestyle, and disease-related characteristics among COPD patients is prevalent. These differences may influence the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study aimed to compare the prevalence and determinants of MCI between rural and urban areas among COPD patients. The cross-sectional study sample comprised 372 COPD patients from China. We evaluated the cognitive function and lung function, collected sociodemographic, lifestyle, and disease-related information, to compare the prevalence of MCI in rural and urban areas. Using multivariate regression analysis to examine the effects of variables to MCI. The prevalence of MCI in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas (65.4% vs 47.9%, P=0.001). The prevalence in farm laborers was almost twice as high as that of non-farm laborers in urban areas (82.6% vs 43.1%), but no significant difference in rural areas (P=0.066). However, the data were lower in subjects who insisted on long-term home oxygen therapy (39.7%, CI:27.8-51.6, P<0.001), and who with higher monthly household income (49.6%, CI:40.2-58.9) in rural areas, but no significant difference in urban areas (P=0.985 and 0.502). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that participants aged 71 years and above, former smokers were at a high risk of MCI in both urban and rural areas. However, participants who slept for 6-8 hours a day, shopping frequently, or exercised for more than 2 hours a day had a lower risk of MCI in urban areas. But rural participants who insisted on long-term home oxygen therapy had a lower probability of developing MCI. This study revealed that there were significant differences in MCI among COPD patients in rural and urban areas, especially in exercise, sleeping, shopping, and long-term home oxygen therapy. Medical staff should give health guidance according to the actual situation of patients with COPD.

Vivências de idosos com doença pulmonar crônica em uso de oxigenoterapia domiciliar prolongada no relacionamento amoroso e sexual

Abstract Objective To understand the meanings attributed by older adult with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) using the Long-Term Home Oxygen Therapy (LTOT) regarding romantic relationships and sexual practice. Method Qualitative study in which seven semi-structured interviews were carried out with patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD and using LTOT, treated in an outpatient service. The content analysis technique was applied with the support of the WebQDA2.0 software license. COREQ criteria were used to report method and outcome. Results Two categories emerged: 1- Destabilization in the romantic relationship and in the sexual life of the LTOT user: : revealed that therapy causes relationship breakup, change of partner after prescription of the LTOT or even the idea of looking for an extramarital person; 2- Experience and meanings of COPD and oxygen therapy during sexual intercourse: suffering with physiological problems, how much the patient feels short of breath to have sexual intercourse and the impact of this on performance and frequency, reducing these moments with the partner. Conclusion The perception of elderly people with COPD using LTOT indicates that oxygen therapy had an impact on sexual practice and romantic relationships. Having good quality in relationships and sexual practice is a fundamental condition for health promotion.

Experiences of older adult with chronic pulmonary disease using long-term home oxygen therapy in romantic and sexual relationships

Resumo Objetivo Compreender os significados atribuídos pela pessoa idosa com Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica (DPOC) em uso da Oxigenoterapia Domiciliar Prolongada (ODP) referente ao relacionamento amoroso e a prática sexual. Método Estudo qualitativo, no qual foram realizadas sete entrevistas semidirigidas com pacientes com diagnóstico confirmado de DPOC e em uso de ODP, atendidos em serviço ambulatorial. A técnica de análise de conteúdo foi aplicada com o apoio do software WebQDA 2.0®. Os critérios COREQ foram usados para relatar o método e o resultado. Resultados Duas categorias emergiram: 1- Desestabilização no relacionamento amoroso e na vida sexual do usuário de ODP: revelou que a terapia causa perturbação nos relacionamentos, mudança de parceiro depois que foi prescrita a ODP ou até a ideia de procurar uma pessoa extraconjugal. 2- Vivência e significados da DPOC e da oxigenoterapia durante a relação sexual: o sofrimento com as questões fisiológicas, o quanto o paciente sente falta de ar para ter relação sexual e o impacto disso no desempenho e na frequência, diminuindo esses momentos com o parceiro Conclusão A percepção da pessoa idosa com DPOC em uso da ODP indica que a oxigenoterapia impactou sobre a prática sexual e nos relacionamentos amorosos. Ter boa qualidade nos relacionamentos e na prática sexual é condição fundamental para promover a saúde.

Home oxygen therapy

Only severe hypoxemia at rest in COPD patients has strong recommendations for long-term oxygen therapy. It is accepted that oxygen should be prescribed if PaO2 is ≤ 7,3 kPa (55 mmHg), or if PaO2 is ≤ 8 kPa (60 mmHg) in the presence of signs of pulmonary hypertension or a hematocrit ≥ 55 %. In Switzerland, prescription is governed by the LiMA (Liste des moyens et appareils) and the patient can obtain supplies from a health care provider or directly from the provider. The most suitable device taking patient's oxygen needs and mobility into account must be chosen. O2 prescription entails risks for the patient that must be known to the prescriber. This article presents the different aspects of long-term home oxygen therapy.

Comparison of the predictive performance of Logistic regression, BP neural network and support vector machine model for the risk of acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease within 30 days

To compare the effectiveness of Logistic regression, BP neural network and support vector machine models in the prediction of 30-day risk of readmission in elderly patients with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to provide a scientific basis for the screening and prevention of high-risk patients with readmission. The COPD patient survey questionnaire was made, including the general data questionnaire, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC), activities of daily living (ADL), the geriatric depression scale, the mini nutritional assessment-short form (MNA-SF) and COPD assessment test (CAT). Elderly COPD patients were selected from the department of respiratory medicine of 13 general hospitals in Ningxia from April 2019 to August 2020 by convenience sampling method, and they were followed up 30 days after discharge. To explore the risk factors of patient readmission, Logistic regression model, BP neural network model and support vector machine models were constructed based on the risk factors. According to the ratio of the training set to the testing set of 7:3, the model was divided into the training set sample and the testing set sample. The prediction efficiency of the model was compared by the precision rate, recall rate and accuracy rate, F1 index and the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). A total of 1 120 patients were investigated, including 879 non-readmission patients and 241 readmission patients. Univariate regression analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in age, education level, smoking status, proportion of diabetes and coronary heart disease, hospitalization times of acute exacerbation of COPD in the past 1 year, seasonal factors and long-term home oxygen therapy, regular medication, proportion of rehabilitation exercise, course of disease, ADL, depression status, mMRC, nutritional status between non-readmission patients and readmission patients. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that education level, smoking status, coronary heart disease, hospitalization times of acute exacerbation of COPD in the past 1 year, seasonal factors, whether long-term home oxygen therapy, whether regular medication, nutritional status were the risk factors for 30-day acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly patients with COPD. The training set showed that the accuracy rate of Logistic regression model, BP neural network model and support vector machine models were 70.95%, 76.51% and 84.78%, respectively. The recall rates were 79.55%, 86.36% and 88.64%, respectively. The accuracy rates were 87.81%, 90.81% and 93.82%, respectively. F1 indexes were 0.75, 0.81 and 0.87, respectively. The AUC were 0.850, 0.893 and 0.921, respectively. The testing set showed that the precision rate of Logistic regression model, BP neural network model and support vector machine model were 78.38%, 80.65% and 88.57%, respectively. The recall rates were 70.73%, 60.98% and 75.61%, respectively. The accuracy rates were 85.82%, 84.40% and 90.07%, respectively. F1 indexes were 0.74, 0.69 and 0.82, respectively. The AUC were 0.814, 0.775 and 0.858, respectively. Comparing with Logistic regression and BP neural network, support vector machine model has better prediction effect, and can effectively predict the risk of acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly patients with COPD within 30 days.

Prediction of 30-day risk of acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly patients with COPD based on support vector machine model

BackgroundAcute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important event in the process of disease management. Early identification of high-risk groups for readmission and appropriate measures can avoid readmission in some groups, but there is still a lack of specific prediction tools. The predictive performance of the model built by support vector machine (SVM) has been gradually recognized by the medical field. This study intends to predict the risk of acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly COPD patients within 30 days by SVM, in order to provide scientific basis for screening and prevention of high-risk patients with readmission.MethodsA total of 1058 elderly COPD patients from the respiratory department of 13 general hospitals in Ningxia region of China from April 2019 to August 2020 were selected as the study subjects by convenience sampling method, and were followed up to 30 days after discharge. Discuss the influencing factors of patient readmission, and built four kernel function models of Linear-SVM, Polynomial-SVM, Sigmoid-SVM and RBF-SVM based on the influencing factors. According to the ratio of training set and test set 7:3, they are divided into training set samples and test set samples, Analyze and Compare the prediction efficiency of the four kernel functions by the precision, recall, accuracy, F1 index and area under the ROC curve (AUC).ResultsEducation level, smoking status, coronary heart disease, hospitalization times of acute exacerbation of COPD in the past 1 year, whether long-term home oxygen therapy, whether regular medication, nutritional status and seasonal factors were the influencing factors for readmission. The training set shows that Linear-SVM, Polynomial-SVM, Sigmoid-SVM and RBF-SVM precision respectively were 69.89, 78.07, 79.37 and 84.21; Recall respectively were 50.78, 69.53, 78.74 and 88.19; Accuracy respectively were 83.92, 88.69, 90.81 and 93.82; F1 index respectively were 0.59, 0.74, 0.79 and 0.86; AUC were 0.722, 0.819, 0.866 and 0.918. Test set precision respectively were86.36, 87.50, 80.77 and 88.24; Recall respectively were51.35, 75.68, 56.76 and 81.08; Accuracy respectively were 85.11, 90.78, 85.11 and 92.20; F1 index respectively were 0.64, 0.81, 0.67 and 0.85; AUC respectively were 0.742, 0.858, 0.759 and 0.885.ConclusionsThis study found the factors that may affect readmission, and the SVM model constructed based on the above factors achieved a certain predictive effect on the risk of readmission, which has certain reference value.

Emotional experiences of elderly patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease using extended home oxygen therapy: A qualitative study on reports at a university specialized outpatient clinic in Brazil

IntroductionWhat do patients talk during a clinic evaluation? What do they report besides referring physical complaints? It is crucial to value ’hidden’ symbolic issues under a conversation between patient and his/her doctors and nurses. Elderly people are at increased risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that requires the management of associated emotions. In advanced stages, they need to use Long-term Home Oxygen Therapy (LTOT) as part of treatment. Patients perceive difficulties with its use, generating anguish.ObjectivesTo explore meanings of emotional experiences as reported by patients regarding LTOT, seen in a public university outpatient service.MethodsQualitative design. Semi-directed interviews with open-ended questions were carried out with seven elderly patients at Pulmonology Outpatient Clinic at General Hospital at University of Campinas, diagnosed with COPD and using LTOT in period 2019 to 2020. Data were analyzed using Content Analysis with the support of Webqda software. COREQ checklist was used.ResultsThree categories emerged from interviews: (1) Changes of self-image perception with great dissatisfaction in not recognizing their selves physically. (2) Sadness with social isolation and feelings of awkwardness regarding themselves. (3) Affective aspects bringing the need to re-mean old family supports.ConclusionsSimply listening to reports of emotional complaints implies only a description of a clinical condition of the psychic sphere. Elderly patients with COPD bring psychological representations of their clinical condition that call for a symbolic interpretation. If such patients become aware of hidden meanings, they can better manage their fears and other uncomfortable feelings.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

КЛИНИЧЕСКОЕ НАБЛЮДЕНИЕ ПАЦИЕНТА С НЕЙРОЭНДОКРИННОЙ КЛЕТОЧНОЙ ГИПЕРПЛАЗИЕЙ МЛАДЕНЦЕВ, ПРЕБЫВАЮЩЕГО НА ДЛИТЕЛЬНОЙ ДОМАШНЕЙ КИСЛОРОДОТЕРАПИИ

Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is an interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology that develops in infancy and manifests as persistent tachypnea syndrome. A highly informative scale for the clinical diagnosis of NEHI and CT of the lungs is used to diagnos the disease. The presence of a typical CT picture allows the diagnosis of NEHI to be made. We present a clinical case of a patient diagnosed on the basis of the scale of clinical diagnostics and a typical CT picture of NEHI, complicated by protein-energy insufficiency, chronic respiratory failure of II degree, who is on long-term home oxygen therapy.

Experiences in elderly people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in relation to the use of long-term home oxygen therapy: a qualitative study about feelings attributed to therapy

BackgroundElderly people are more likely to suffer severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and require long-term home oxygen therapy (LTOT) as part of their treatment. LTOT has advantages such as improvement in symptoms, but there are also disadvantages such as physical barriers, psychosocial barriers and emotional challenges. The aim of this study is to understand the experiences of elderly people with COPD using LTOT with respect to their feelings attributed to therapy.MethodsQualitative study. Seven semidirected interviews were conducted with patients with a confirmed COPD diagnosis who used LTOT and were treated at an outpatient service. The content analysis technique was applied with the support of WebQDA software 2.0.ResultsThree categories emerged that were associated with the use of LTOT: (1) poor self-image; (2) feelings of sadness and (3) the impact of LTOT on others such as family and friends.ConclusionsLTOT in elderly people with COPD was associated with a poor self-image, feelings of sadness and impacted on others apart from the patient. When LTOT is prescribed, healthcare practitioners should proactively address these concerns to minimise the negative biopsychosocial experiences caused by LTOT.

Home oxygen therapy.

SUMMARYLong-term home oxygen therapy improves survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and persistent, severe hypoxaemia. It is uncertain that this benefit extends to patients with other chronic lung diseases.Oxygen is a treatment for hypoxaemia, not breathlessness. To confirm hypoxaemia, blood gas analysis is recommended before prescribing oxygen.There is limited and conflicting evidence that portable oxygen for exertional use is of benefit to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who do not have severe hypoxaemia. Laboratory studies show improvements in exercise capacity and dyspnoea, but these do not translate into significant benefits in the home setting.Patients should be educated regarding the expected benefits, risks and burdens of home oxygen therapy. It is particularly important that the patient does not smoke.

Effectiveness and Safety of Supervised Home-Based Physical Training in Patients With COPD on Long-term Home Oxygen Therapy: A Randomized Trial

Patients with COPD in advanced stages who need long-term home oxygen therapy (LTHOT) have difficulty participating in outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs. This difficulty is due to the severity of their disease, limitations involving transportation and mobility, high costs, and issues related to patients' safety and individual needs. Unsupervised home-based physical training (PT) is frequently used. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a supervised home-based PT program on exercise capacity and other outcomes in patients with COPD receiving LTHOT. In a randomized clinical trial, patients with COPD who were on LTHOT were allocated into two groups: the supervised physical training (PT) group, consisting of patients who received home-based supervised muscle strength and endurance training in twice-weekly 60-min sessions for 12weeks; and the unsupervised activity booklet group, consisting of patients who received a booklet advising them to perform exercise twice a week for 12weeks. All participants were assessed prior to and following the intervention in terms of exercise capacity (6-min step-test and the 1-min sit-to-stand test); dyspnea (Medical Research Council scale); fatigue (Brazilian Portuguese version of the Fatigue Severity Scale); and health status (COPD Assessment Test). A total of 44 patients were assessed (mean age, 70 ± 8 years; FEV1, 33 ± 14%predicted) (PT group, n= 22; booklet group, n= 22). Only the PT group patients presented significant improvement in the 6-min step-test (21 ± 9 vs14 ± 11; P= .001), Medical Research Council scale (3.3 ± 1.0 vs3.9 ± 0.9; P= .013), Brazilian Portuguese version of the Fatigue Severity Scale (5.0 ± 1.4 vs5.2 ± 1.3; P= .015), and COPD Assessment Test (21 ± 8 vs26 ± 6; P= .001). No adverse effects were observed. Supervised home-based PT was effective and safe in improving exercise capacity, dyspnea, fatigue, and health status in patients with COPD on LTHOT. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials; No.: RBR-535smn; URL: http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br.

Pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a personalised intervention for carers of people requiring home oxygen therapy.

We used a pragmatic randomised controlled trial to evaluate a behavioural change strategy targeting carers of chronically hypoxaemic patients using long-term home oxygen therapy. Intervention group carers participated in personalised educational sessions focusing on motivating carers to take actions to assist patients. All patients received usual care. Effectiveness was measured through a composite event of patient survival to hospitalisation, residential care admission or death to 12 months. Secondary outcomes at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months included carer and patient emotional and physical well-being. No difference between intervention (n = 100) and control (n = 97) patients was found for the composite outcome (hazard ratio (HR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.89, 1.68; p = 0.22). Improved fatigue, mastery, vitality and general health occurred in intervention group patients (all p values < 0.05). No benefits were seen in carer outcomes. Mortality was significantly higher in intervention patients (HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.00, 4.14; p = 0.05; adjusted for Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status), with a significant diagnosis–intervention interaction (p = 0.028) showing higher mortality in patients with COPD (HR 4.26; 95% CI = 1.60, 11.35) but not those with interstitial lung disease (HR 0.83; 95% CI = 0.28, 2.46). No difference was detected in the primary outcome, but patient mortality was higher when carers had received the intervention, especially in the most disabled patients. Trials examining behavioural change interventions in severe disease should stratify for functionality, and both risks and benefits should be independently monitored. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12607000177459).

Effect evaluation of six-character exercise breathing assisted long-term home oxygen therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To evaluate the effect of six-character formula breathing exercises combined with long-term home oxygen therapy in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A total of 200 COPD patients in Shanghai First People′s Hospital were divided into control group and observation group by odd and even numbers with 100 cases each. The patients in control group received routine long-term home oxygen therapy and the patients in observation group received six-character formula breathing exercises as an adjunct to long-term home oxygen therapy. The patients completed the Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) score at 1 month, 3 months and 9 months respectively. At 6 months and 12 months, the patients completed the mMRC score, the frequency of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), the number of re-admissions, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2) and St. George′s Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores. At 12 months, the patients were evaluated for the six-minute walking test. Results The duration of oxygen in observation group was (6.3 ± 1.7) h/d, was shorter than control group (7.5 ± 2.1) h/d (t=2.040, P=0.043). The frequency of AECOPD in observation group at 12 months was (3.12 ± 0.49) times/case, was lower than control group (4.95±0.65) times/case (t= 22.482, P <0.01). The frequency of re-admission in observation group was (1.09 ± 0.41) times/case, was lower than control group (1.22 ± 0.39) times/case (t= 2.215, P=0.028). The mMRC scores in observation group at 3 months and 9 months was (2.733±0.750), (2.749 ± 0.938), was lower than control group (3.186 ± 0.734), (3.197 ± 0.848) (t=4.317, 3.543, P<0.01). The SGRQ scores in observation group at 6 months and 12 months was (54.678 ± 9.318), (56.656 ± 7.294), was lower than control group (61.603 ± 8.989), (63.006 ± 7.387) (t=5.349, 6.117, P<0.01). PaCO2 in observation group at 12 months was (6.422 ± 0.864) kPa, was better than control group (6.856 ± 0.904) kPa (t=3.471, P=0.01). The walking distance of 6 minutes in observation group was (265.483 ± 19.277) meters, was longer than control group (232.966 ± 18.883) meters (t= 12.050, P < 0.01). Conclusions Six-character formula breathing exercises assisted with long-term home oxygen therapy can reduce the use of oxygen, reduce the frequency of AECOPD and readmission, improve the symptoms of COPD patients, and delay the pathological process of COPD. Key words: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Six-character breathing exercise; Long term home oxygen therapy; Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Differences between patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease accompanied with or without community-acquired pneumonia

Objective To explore the differences between patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) accompanied with or without community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods We collected 141 patients with COPD who met the admission criteria and had multiple acute exacerbation hospitalization history. Among them, 40 patients with AECOPD accompanied with or without acute exacerbation of hospitalization of CAP (group A), 38 patients with AECOPD accompanied with acute exacerbation of hospitalization of CAP (group B) and 63 patients with AECOPD but without acute exacerbation of hospitalization of CAP (group C). The demographic differences of age, sex and smoking status were analyzed and compared. The clinical symptoms and blood-related inflammatory indicators of patients in group A were analyzed and compared under the acute aggravation of CAP. The number of acute hospitalizations in 12 months before onset and 12 months after discharge were tracked. Results The age, smoking rate, COPD-GOLD classification, dyspnea index, anxiety and depression score in group A were higher than those in group B and C, while the percentage of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) in predicted value was lower than that in group B and C. The proportion of patients who cooperated or needed long-term home oxygen therapy and drug therapy was higher than that in group B and C, with statistical significance (P 0.05). The clinical symptoms of cough, expectoration, fever and other blood-related inflammatory indicators were aggravated in group A when accompanied with CAP. The number of acute hospitalizations in 12 months after discharge of AECOPD without CAP was significantly higher than that of COPD with CAP (P 0.05). The number of hospitalizations in 12 months after discharge, percentage of neutrophils (N) and the level of interleukin (IL)-17 were independent clinical predictors of COPD with CAP. Conclusions Patients with AECOPD accompanied with or without CAP (group A) had poor lung function, worse illness conditions, greater support of home oxygen therapy and drug therapy and poor quality of life. Patients with AECOPD accompanied with CAP had more symptoms and higher levels of inflammatory indicators, but less risk of re-hospitalization in 12 months after cure than AECOPD patients without CAP.The number of hospitalization in 12 month after discharge, the percentage of neutrophils (N), and IL-17 level were helpful in screening the patients with CAP from the AECOPD patients. Key words: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Community-acquired infections; Pneumonia

Characteristics of long-term home oxygen therapy users in the municipality of Curitiba, Brazil

Abstract Introduction: Long-term home oxygen therapy (LTOT) can be successfully used in the treatment and prevention of chronic lung diseases, as it improves quality of life, increases survival, and reduces the lenght of hospital stays. However, to the authors’ knowledge there are no descriptive studies with details of the clinical and social profile of patients using LTOT in the state of Paraná. Objective: To analyze the profile of LTOT users in the state of Paraná. Method: All patients registered in the LTOT program of the Curitiba Municipal Department of Health were recruited to the study. Participants answered a questionnaire with questions about their education level, family income, main diagnosis, comorbidities, hours/day of O2 use, and hospitalizations in the previous year. Results: 386 patients (67 ± 20.4 years; 66% females) were interviewed. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the most common disease (58.5%); 60.6% were former smokers and 84.5% did not practice any kind of physical activity; dyspnea was the most common symptom (81.3%) and immobility was the most commonly reported inconvenience (33%); 55.7% used O2 24 hours a day; 53.6% had been hospitalized in the previous year; 33.9% had not completed primary school; 31.4% had an income of one minimum monthly wage or less. Conclusion: LTOT users in Curitiba are primarily elderly women with COPD, with low family income and limited schooling. It is extremely important that health professionals provide educational and preventive measures for this population, to minimize the impact of COPD in the community.

Annual decline in arterial blood oxygen predicts development of chronic respiratory failure in COPD with mild hypoxaemia: A 6-year follow-up study.

Chronic respiratory failure (CRF) with hypoxaemia is an important pathophysiology in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and existing mild hypoxaemia may be a sign of future CRF development. However, little is known about the trajectory of partial arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO2 ) decline in patients with COPD. We assessed decline in PaO2 and the impact of short-term reductions in PaO2 to predict future decline in PaO2 . A total of 172 outpatients with COPD from a prospective cohort study were enrolled. Pulmonary function tests and arterial blood gas (ABG) analyses were conducted at baseline and 1 year after enrolment and changes in PaO2 (ΔPaO2 ) and other parameters were calculated. Survival and incidence of CRF (as assessed by prescription of long-term home oxygen therapy) were monitored for 6 years. A total of 164 patients completed the observation period and 101 patients had mild hypoxaemia (PaO2 < 80 Torr) at baseline. No patients with normal PaO2 (≥80 Torr) developed CRF, and 10 patients with mild hypoxaemia developed CRF in 6 years. Baseline airflow limitation and diffusion capacity were significantly associated with development of CRF. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed that ΔPaO2 of -3.05 Torr/year is a useful cut-off value to predict development of CRF in 6 years (hazard ratio (HR): 12.6, 95% CI: 3.48-58.73, P < 0.0001). Patients with COPD and mild hypoxaemia may benefit from repeat ABG after 1 year. Although PaO2 trajectories widely varied, significant annual changes in PaO2 of at least -3.0 Torr/year were predictive of CRF development.

Oxigenoterapia Domiciliária de Longa Duração na Criança: Evidências e Questões em Aberto

Long-term home oxygen therapy is indicated for patients with chronic hypoxemia. We intend to describe pediatric population on long-term home oxygen therapy followed-up at Pediatric Respiratory Unit of a tertiary care hospital between 2003-2012 and to compare with previous 1991-2000 review; to verify conformity with international and national recommendations and need for specific pediatric national guidelines, non-existent in Portugal. Retrospective, descriptive and comparative study based on clinical files review. Review the guidelines for oxygen therapy in pediatric population. We studied 86 patients (59.3% males). The median age at the beginning of oxygen therapy was 0.0 (0.0-216.0) months, with a median duration of 15.0 (3.0-223.0) months. The most frequent diagnosis was bronchopulmonary dysplasia (53.5%), followed by bronchiolitis obliterans (14.0%), neurologic disorders (10.5%), cystic fibrosis (8.1%), miscellaneous syndromes (5.8%), sickle-cell disease (3.5%), other neonatal lung diseases (2.3%) and interstitial lung diseases (2.3%). Are maintained on follow-up 53 (61.6%) patients, 38 on oxygen therapy; 12 (13.9%) died. The median time of follow-up was 39.5 (1.0-246.0) months, minim on other neonatal lung diseases and maximum on cystic fibrosis. Comparing with previous review, this shows a relative increase in bronchiolitis obliterans and bronchopulmonary dysplasia patients, with increased duration in the latter, and inclusion of neurologic and hematologic patients. Prescription of long-term oxygen therapy in pediatric age mainly occurs in specific diseases of infants and pre-school aged. Neurologic and hematologic patients represent new indications, similarly to international publications. The knowledge of national reality and pediatric orientations are needed for care plans and rational prescription.

Prognostic severity scores for patients with COPD exacerbations attending emergency departments.

Reported predictors of the adverse evolution of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations (eCOPD) are various and inconsistent in the bibliography. To develop clinical prediction rules for short-term outcomes in eCOPD patients attending an emergency department (ED). Prospective cohort study of patients with an eCOPD. Short-term outcomes were admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), admission to an intermediate respiratory care unit (IRCU) and death in these groups. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed for each of the outcomes. Predictors of ICU or IRCU admission were use of long-term home oxygen therapy (LT-HOT) or non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), elevated PCO2 and decreased pH upon ED arrival (area under the curve [AUC] 0.87 in the derivation sample; 0.89 in the validation sample). Among those admitted to an ICU or IRCU, predictors of death were increased age, use at home of LT-HOT or NIMV, use of inspiratory accessory muscles upon ED arrival and altered Glasgow Coma Scale (<15 points) (AUC 0.78). Three clinical predictors available in the ED can be used to create a simple score to predict the need for intensive treatment among eCOPD patients. Such a score can be a tool for clinical practice.

Predictive score for mortality in patients with COPD exacerbations attending hospital emergency departments.

BackgroundLimited information is available about predictors of short-term outcomes in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (eCOPD) attending an emergency department (ED). Such information could help stratify these patients and guide medical decision-making. The aim of this study was to develop a clinical prediction rule for short-term mortality during hospital admission or within a week after the index ED visit.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study of patients with eCOPD attending the EDs of 16 participating hospitals. Recruitment started in June 2008 and ended in September 2010. Information on possible predictor variables was recorded during the time the patient was evaluated in the ED, at the time a decision was made to admit the patient to the hospital or discharge home, and during follow-up. Main short-term outcomes were death during hospital admission or within 1 week of discharge to home from the ED, as well as at death within 1 month of the index ED visit. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed in a derivation sample and validated in a validation sample. The score was compared with other published prediction rules for patients with stable COPD.ResultsIn total, 2,487 patients were included in the study. Predictors of death during hospital admission, or within 1 week of discharge to home from the ED were patient age, baseline dyspnea, previous need for long-term home oxygen therapy or non-invasive mechanical ventilation, altered mental status, and use of inspiratory accessory muscles or paradoxical breathing upon ED arrival (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.85). Addition of arterial blood gas parameters (oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressures (PO2 and PCO2)) and pH) did not improve the model. The same variables were predictors of death at 1 month (AUC = 0.85). Compared with other commonly used tools for predicting the severity of COPD in stable patients, our rule was significantly better.ConclusionsFive clinical predictors easily available in the ED, and also in the primary care setting, can be used to create a simple and easily obtained score that allows clinicians to stratify patients with eCOPD upon ED arrival and guide the medical decision-making process.