Long-term Ventilation Research Articles

Home ventilation in low resource settings: Learning to do more, with less.

Long-term ventilation (LTV) in children at home, especially invasive ventilation, is not widely available nor practised in low-resource settings (LRS). Barriers to providing LTV include underdeveloped pediatric critical care services, limited expertise in pediatric LTV, limited capacity to screen for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and high cost of LTV equipment and consumables. Additional challenges encountered in LRS may be unreliable electricity supply and difficult socioeconomic conditions. Where LTV at home has been successfully implemented, caregivers and families in LRS must often take full responsibility for their child's care as professional home-based nursing care is scarce. Selecting suitable children and families to offer LTV in LRS may therefore face difficult ethical decisions when families are disempowered or incapable of providing 24-h care at home. Early caregiver participation and hands-on training in tracheostomy care and LTV equipment is key to success, irrespective of the caregiver's level of education. The use of overnight oximetry, mobile phone technology, spirometry, and clinical evaluation are simple tools that can aid recognition and monitoring of children needing LTV. As children survive longer supported by LTV, engaging with adult services at an early stage is important to ensure suitable pathways for transition to adult care are in place. Building capacity and expertise in pediatric LTV in LRS requires targeted training of health professionals in related disciplines and advocacy to policymakers and funders that LTV in appropriately selected circumstances is worthwhile, life-changing, and cost-saving.

Indication, complication, and prognosis of fiberoptic bronchoscopy guided percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy opening in respiratory intensive care unit: a retrospective study.

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is a bedside applicable procedure in intensive care unit patients requiring long-term mechanical ventilation. Fiber optic bronchoscopy (FOB) makes it easier and reduces complications. Our study aimed to evaluate the indications, complications, and prognosis of PDTs performed with FOB. Our study included 114 patients undergoing PDT through FOB-guided Griggs method in the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit between January 01, 2018, and January 31, 2023. Among the patients undergoing PDT with FOB, 81 (71.1%) were male. The mean age was 62.1±11.5. The median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 9, the median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II (APACHE-II) score was 19, and the median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 8. Tracheostomy was opened for prolonged mechanical-ventilator requirement in 80 patients (70.2%), to protect the airway in 19 (16.7%), and for poor neurologic status in 15 patients (13.2%). Complications during the procedure included hypoxemia in 3 patients (2.6%), minor bleeding in 3 patients (2.6%), perforation of the FOB in one patient (0.8%), and perforation of the intubation tube cuff in one patient (0.8%). 79 patients (69.3%) were discharged, and 35 (30.7%) were exited. There was a significant difference between the GCS, APACHE-II, and SOFA scores of the patients discharged and those who exited (p < 0.001). FOB-guided PDT application should be encouraged as it reduces complications but it is still limited because it requires experienced specialists and equipment for a standard approach.

Enhancing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management: long-term noninvasive ventilation, ventilation, holistic treatment, monitoring, and artificial intelligence integration

Enhancing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management: long-term noninvasive ventilation, ventilation, holistic treatment, monitoring, and artificial intelligence integration

Characteristics and outcomes in children with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome on long-term mechanical ventilation in the Netherlands.

Our study results suggest that in our cohort, the genotype is not easily associated to the phenotype in CCHS. Consistent with these findings and international literature, we recommend a thorough annual evaluation for all patients with CCHS to ensure optimal management and follow-up. • The majority of CCHS patients are dependent on ventilatory support. • Variants in the PHOX2B gene are responsible for the characteristics of CCHS. • This study provides insight into the clinical course and long-term outcomes of CCHS patients in the Netherlands. • In CCHS, the genotype is not easily associated with the phenotype, requiring a thorough life-long follow-up for all patients.

Fighting to Breathe and Fighting for Health-Related Quality of Life: Measuring the Impact of Being Dependent on Technology for Breathing on the Child and Their Caregiver.

Medical advancement has enabled children to survive congenital airway anomalies, rare diseases and critical illnesses with medical technology including tracheostomies and long-term ventilation to support breathing. This study aimed to assess (1) the validity of the EQ-TIPS and EQ-5D-Y-3L in children dependent on technology and (2) the impact of caring for these children on the EQ-5D-5L and CarerQoL. Caregivers of children aged 1 month to 18 years completed the EQ-TIPS or EQ-5D-Y-3L, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and Paediatric Tracheostomy Health Status Instrument(PTHSI) to reflect the child's health. In addition, caregivers self-completed the EQ-5D-5L and CarerQoL. Reports of problems on EQ dimensions were compared across age groups with the Fisher's exact test. Spearman and Pearson's correlation coefficients and Kruskal-Wallis H-test were used to explore the association between caregiver and child scores, concurrent validity, and known-group validity of the EQ-TIPS and EQ-5D-Y-3L. Responses from 144 caregivers were collected, 66 for children aged 1 month to 4 years completing EQ-TIPS and 78 for children aged 5-18 years completing EQ-5D-Y-3L. The EQ-TIPS showed a higher report of no problems for social interaction for children aged 1-12 months (p = 0.040) than the older age groups, there were however no differences in the level sum score (LSS) or EQ Visual Analogue Scale scores between the age groups. The EQ-5D-Y-3L showed a significantly less report of problems for mobility (p = 0.013) and usual activities (p = 0.006) for children aged 5-7 years compared with children aged 8-12 and children aged 13-18 years. Similarly, the 5-7 years of age group had a significantly lower EQ-5D-Y-3L LSS compared with the older groups (H = 12.08, p = 0.002). The EQ-TIPS and EQ-5D-Y-3L showed moderate-to-strong associations with the PedsQL. EQ-TIPS median LSS was able to differentiate between groups on the clinical prognosis with a better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in those where weaning from technology is possible compared with those where weaning is not possible (H = 18.98, p = 0.011). The EQ-5D-Y-3L can discriminate between breathing technology, where those with only a tracheostomy reported better HRQoL (H = 8.92, p = 0.012), and between mild and moderate clinical severity (H = 19.42, p < 0.001). Neither the PedsQL nor the PTHSI was able to discriminate between these groups across the age range. Caregiver and child HRQoL scores showed moderate-to-strong associations. The EQ-TIPS and EQ-5D-Y-3L showed good validity in children dependent on the technology for breathing. The EQ-TIPS and EQ-5D-Y-3L LSS were all able to differentiate between children with known clinical variables and outperformed both the PedsQL and PTHSI, making them preferable for intervention research. The caregiver scores are associated with the child HRQoL scores and thus a spill-over should be accounted for in any interventions targeting this cohort. It is recommended that future studies investigate the reliability and responsiveness of these measures in children dependent on technology for breathing.

Arrangement of residence before hospital discharge for children on home-invasive mechanical ventilation.

Children on long-term home mechanical ventilation are a growing population due to clinical and technological advances and the benefit for the child's quality of life. Invasive home ventilation is one of the most complex therapies offered in the home setting, requiring adequate home environment and appropriate equipment and supplies before discharge.The transition from hospital to home represents a vulnerable period that can be facilitated with an established transition plan with multidisciplinary team involvement. Readiness for home care is achieved when the patient is stable and has been transitioned from a critical care ventilator to a home mechanical ventilator. In parallel, comprehensive competency-based training regarding the knowledge and skills needed to help families use the equipment confidently and safely. Before discharge, families should be counseled on an adequate home environment to ensure a safe transition. The residence arrangement may include physical space modifications, verifying electrical installation, or moving to another home. Durable medical equipment and supplies must be ordered, and community healthcare support arranged. Parents should receive practical advice on setting up the equipment at home and on preventive measures to minimize complications related to tracheostomy and ventilator dependence, including regular maintenance and replacement of necessary equipment.Given the overall impact of invasive ventilation on home life, a structured home care action package is essential to alleviate the burdens involved.

Catastrophic Complications Following Spinal Deformity Surgery in a Patient with Myotonic Dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, often leading to spinal deformities and decreased quality of life. While the surgical correction of spinal deformities is not absolutely contraindicated in MD patients, a comprehensive pre-anesthetic evaluation is crucial, particularly considering cardiovascular and respiratory health. We present a case of a 50-year-old woman with MD who underwent spinal deformity surgery to correct kyphosis and alleviate severe back pain. Despite the absence of significant events during surgery and preoperative risk factors, the patient experienced postoperative respiratory failure, hypotension, aggravated weakness, and mental deterioration in the intensive care unit. The patient received long-term ventilator support during hospitalization for respiratory muscle weakness. She demonstrated significant improvements in strength, mobility, and respiratory function with multidisciplinary support and rehabilitation, achieving functional independence within 6 months postoperatively. The authors discuss the possible etiological mechanisms underlying these complications and highlight the need for preoperative evaluations and multidisciplinary care for patients with MD.

The factorial survey as an approach to investigate clinical decision-making: examining influences on a clinician's decision to initiate life-sustaining clinical technology for a child with spinal muscular atrophy type 1

BackgroundSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1 is a debilitating condition with a poor prognosis, though therapeutic advances are promising. Long-term ventilation is a common management strategy as respiratory function deteriorates. Without consensus on best practice respiratory management, the decision to initiate invasive LTV (I-LTV) for this group of young children involves many ethical considerations. Understanding the main influencing factors on a clinician's likelihood to initiative I-LTV for a child with chronic critical illness is important to maintain transparency and trust with the family during this challenging time.MethodsA factorial survey was used to identify the factors that influence a clinician to support initiation of I-LTV for children with SMA type 1. Factorial survey content was based on literature and evidence-based practice and the content was subject to extensive pretesting and pilot testing. An anonymous survey was disseminated (Oct 2021–Jan 2022), via eight international professional organisations, to clinicians with experience caring for children at the time of initiation of I-LTV.Results251 participants answered 514 vignettes on SMA type 1. The greatest influencing factor on clinician's likelihood to initiate I-LTV was parental agreement with the need to initiate I-LTV. Additional qualitative comments from participants support this finding. Clinicians also highlighted the important role of innovative therapies as well as the availability of supports for families when considering initiation however these findings were context based.ConclusionsThe factorial survey approach provides a valuable way of identifying influencers on decision-making in sensitive situations. The findings demonstrate the acceptance of the centrality of parental influence in decisions on care delivery. Effective communication with the child's family is key to ensuring shared understanding and agreement of goals of care. More international research is needed on the long-term effects of novel treatments, as well as impact on quality of life and influence of geographical location, to inform decision-making.

P063 Long-term Non-invasive Ventilation in Patients with COPD: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstract Introduction Domiciliary long-term non-invasive ventilation (LT-NIV) is an accepted therapy for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic hypercapnia. This study aimed to characterise patients with COPD who were commenced on LT-NIV. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of all patients prescribed LT-NIV with a primary physician-diagnosis of COPD, between June 2016 and March 2022 at an Australian tertiary hospital. Results 333 patients were commenced on LT-NIV, of whom 67 (20%) had COPD. Inpatient LT-NIV Initiation: 53/67 (79%) were commenced on LT-NIV during an inpatient admission with acute exacerbation of COPD. Patients were elderly (age, mean 69± SD 9.5 years), predominantly female (60%) with moderate-severe COPD (FEV1 37±18%) and mild-moderate comorbidity burden (Charlson Comorbidity Index Score 2.1±1.4). Prior to LT-NIV, 64% patients had a sleep study with 15% having severe OSA (AHI≥30 or ODI≥30). 30% previously required acute NIV. Pre-admission non-exacerbated PaCO2 was 58±7.3mmHg During admission, all inpatients demonstrated hypercapnia (PaCO2≥45mmHg). Peak inpatient PaCO2 was 87±20mmHg, with persistent hypercapnia on discharge 58±9.0mmHg. On discharge, IPAP and EPAP settings were 17±3.8 and 7.7cm±2.7cmH2O respectively. There was a non-significant reduction in respiratory-related and all-cause hospitalizations in the 12-months following LT-NIV initiation (p=0.66 and 0.53 respectively). Outpatient LT-NIV Initiation: [Further data collection in progress] Discussion This study illustrates the real-world prescription of LT-NIV for COPD at our centre, with the majority being initiated in the inpatient setting, rather than early outpatient reassessment. A prospective multi-centre analysis is required to better understand the nuances of LT-NIV prescription in patients with COPD.

Acupuncture for ventilator-dependent patients at a hospital-based respiratory care center: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIn intensive care units, mechanical ventilation is an important therapy to help patients with dyspnea. However, long-term ventilator dependence would consume huge medical resources and increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of the acupuncture combined with western medical care on ventilator parameters in ventilator-dependent patients. MethodsIn this clinical trial, 80 ventilator-dependent patients aged 20 to 80 years old were randomly assigned to acupuncture group and control group in the respiratory care center (RCC) of Changhua Christian Hospital. Besides regular medical care and therapy, participants in the acupuncture group received acupuncture therapy at the same 17 acu-points for 20 minutes once a day, a total of 12 sessions. The ventilator parameters were recorded to evaluate the respiratory efficiency for all participants. The primary outcome was rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), and secondary outcomes were respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (TV) and ventilation per minute (MV), ResultsThough there was no significant difference in the parameter between the acupuncture group and the control group, we found the trend of decreasing RSBI in the acupuncture group. In subgroup analyses, the mean of RSBI significantly decreased 16.02 (with the SD in 60.84) in acupuncture group, while it increased 17.84 (with the SD in 39.38) in control group (p=0.036) after 12 sessions. ConclusionAcupuncture treatment can improve breathing ability of patients with respirator dependence in respiratory care center.

The care burden for technology-dependent children with long-term home ventilation increases along with the improvement of their motor functions

Since the establishment of Japan’s publicly supported pediatric home medical care (PHMC) system in 2012, the number of technology-dependent children (TDC) who are supported by PHMC has been increasing. We expected care to become easier as TDC mobility increased. However, many family caregivers complained of the opposite, that the burden of care increased as TDC’s mobility increased. Therefore, we aimed to study the problems of the care burden of families in relation to the improvement of mobility of TDC with a focus on respiratory support. We conducted a survey among caregivers of TDC in two parts: a first survey was done between 2018 and 2020, and a follow-up survey in 2023. In each medical procedure, the correlation of TDC’s motor function level with care burden was analyzed by using correlation analysis. In 15 households, caregivers’ activities were monitored to elucidate the problems of the care objectively. The second survey was conducted in February 2023 in TDC whose medical records were available. Analysis of 418 cases showed that care-burden increased with improvements in the children’s motor ability in tracheostomy, or remained the same in other procedures. A follow-up study in 262/418 cases of this group showed that part of these TDC with high mobility aged 1–8, after passing through the mobile phase with increased burden of care, had a high potential to be weaned from medical devices. Conclusion: For TDC who acquire motor skills during PHMC, the burden of care for caregivers either increases or remains the same. It is important to maintain social support for TDC on the recovering mobile stage.What is Known:• There was no clear information on the care burden when TDC become mobile.What is New:• We did a qualitative study to show that the care burden increases when TDC become mobile.• In addition, mobike TDC showed a high potential for recovery.

The Effect of Pressure Changes During Mechanical Insufflation-Exsufflation on Respiratory and Airway Physiology

Respiratory muscle weakness can impair cough function, leading to lower respiratory tract infections. These infections are an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients with neuromuscular disease. Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MIE) is used to augment cough function in these patients. Although MIE is widely used, there are few data to advise on the optimal technique. Since the introduction of MIE, the recommended pressures to be delivered have increased. There are concerns regarding the use of higher pressures and their potential to cause lung derecruitment and upper airway closure. What is the impact of high-pressure MIE (HP-MIE) on lung recruitment, respiratory drive, upper airway flow, and patient comfort, compared with low-pressure MIE (LP-MIE), in patients with respiratory muscle weakness? Clinically stable patients using domiciliary MIE with respiratory muscle weakness secondary to Duchenne muscle dystrophy, spinal cord injury, or long-term tracheostomy ventilation received LP-MIE (30/-30cm H2O) and HP-MIE (60/-60cm H2O) in a random sequence. Lung recruitment, neural respiratory drive, and cough peak expiratory flow were measured throughout, and patients reported comfort and breathlessness following each intervention. A total of 29 patients (10 with Duchenne muscle dystrophy, eight with spinal cord injury, and 11 with long-term tracheostomy ventilation) were included in this study. HP-MIE augmented cough peak expiratory flow compared with LP-MIE (mean cough peak expiratory flow HP-MIE 228 ± 81 L/min vsLP-MIE 179 ± 67 L/min; P= .0001) without any significant change in lung recruitment, neural respiratory drive, or patient-reported breathlessness. However, in patients with more pronounced respiratory muscle weakness, HP-MIE resulted in an increased rate of upper airway closure and patient discomfort that may have an impact on clinical efficacy. HP-MIE did not lead to lung derecruitment or breathlessness compared with LP-MIE. However, it was poorly tolerated in individuals with advanced respiratory muscle weakness. HP-MIE generates more upper airway closure than LP-MIE, which may be missed if cough peak expiratory flow is used as the sole titration target. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02753959; URL: www. gov.

Evaluation of factors associated with survival in allogeneic stem cell-transplanted patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU)

ABSTRACTIntroduction:There are conflicting results concerning the outcome of patients after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) who required treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome and prognostic parameters in terms of patient survival after allo-HSCT and admission to the ICU within the first 30 days after transplantation.Methods:Patients after allo-HSCT, who were ≥18 years and admitted to the ICU after the initiation of conditioning therapy and within the first 30 days after allo-HSCT at the University Hospital of Bonn between January 2017 and April 2021, were analysed retrospectively. Baseline data, laboratory parameters, established scoring systems, vital parameters, and outcome were collected.Results:44 patients (median age of 63 years) were analysed. The 90-day survival rate was 50% (N = 22) and the 1-year survival rate was 27% (N = 12). The 90-day and 1-year survival rates of patients who required MV were 38% (N = 13) and 18% (N = 6). There was a significant correlation between increased mortality and an APACHE-Score ≥20 (p = 0.03), a SAPS-II-Score ≥60 (p = 0.04) and a SOFA-Score ≥9 (p = 0.03). Invasive mechanical ventilation (p = 0.05) and vasopressor support (p = 0.03) showed a negative correlation with the outcome.Conclusion:This study found several parameters (APACHE-II-Score, SAPS-II-Score, SOFA-Score, MV and vasopressor support) associated with increased mortality after allo-HSCT and admission to the ICU. The outcome of allo-HSCT patients admitted to the ICU is not as poor as previously reported. Even older patients under long-term ventilation may benefit from intensive care therapy.

Tracheostomy in Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-How to Decide in the Absence of Evidence.

Infants with the most severe forms of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) may require long-term invasive positive pressure ventilation for survival, therefore necessitating tracheostomy. Although life-saving, tracheostomy has also been associated with high mortality, postoperative complications, high readmission rates, neurodevelopmental impairment, and significant caregiver burden, making it a highly complex and challenging decision. However, for some infants tracheostomy may be necessary for survival and the only way to facilitate a timely and safe transition home. The specific indications for tracheostomy and the timing of the procedure in infants with severe BPD are currently unknown. Hence, centers and clinicians display broad variations in practice with regard to tracheostomy, which presents barriers to designing evidence-generating studies and establishing a consensus approach. As the incidence of severe BPD continues to rise, the question remains, how do we decide on tracheostomy to provide optimal outcomes for these patients?

Long-term non-invasive ventilation for COPD patients following an exacerbation with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Introduction It remains unclear whether long-term non-invasive ventilation (LT-NIV) for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) improves survival and reduces admissions as results from randomized trials are inconsistent. We aim to determine whether LT-NIV initiated after an admission with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF) can affect survival and admission rate in COPD patients. Methods A randomized controlled open-label trial, allocating patients with COPD to LT-NIV or standard of care immediately after an admission with AHRF treated with acute NIV. LT-NIV was aimed to normalize PaCO2 using high-pressure NIV. Results The study was discontinued before full sample size due to slow recruitment. 28 patients were randomized to LT-NIV and 27 patients to standard of care. 42% of patients had a history of ≥ 2 admissions with AHRF. Median IPAP was 24 cmH2O (IQR 20–28). The primary outcome, time to readmission with AHRF or death within 12 months, did not reach significance, hazard ratio 0.53 (95% CI 0.25–1.12) p = 0.097. In a competing risk analysis, adjusted for history of AHRF, the odds ratio for AHRF within 12 months was 0.30 (95% CI 0.11–0.87) p = 0.024. The LT-NIV group had less exacerbations (median 1 (0–1) vs 2 (1–4) p = 0.021) and readmissions with AHRF (median 0 (0–1) vs 1 (0–1) p = 0.016). Conclusion The risk of the primary outcome, time to readmission with AHRF or death within 12 months was numerically smaller in the LT-NIV group, however, did not reach significance. Nevertheless, several secondary outcome analyses like risk of AHRF, number of episodes of AHRF and exacerbations were all significantly reduced in favour of high-pressure LT-NIV, especially in patients with frequent AHRF.

Locked-in Syndrome

Objective ‒ to sharpen the attention of doctors to a rare, little-known pathology of damage to the ventral parts of the pons, the upper parts of the medulla oblongata ‒ the locked-in syndrome. The extremely important value of this syndrome can be in determining the prognosis of the disease and solving issues of rehabilitation and patient care.Locked-in syndrome is a rare, complex clinical and neurological symptom complex, the basis of which is a lesion of the front parts of the pons with intact functioning of the nuclei and afferents of the brain stem cover. The locked-in syndrome occurs when blood circulation is disturbed in the ventral parts of the brain stem and pons. According to the criteria of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, the locked-in syndrome is a combination of: 1) stable opening of the eyes; 2) safety of basic cognitive abilities; 3) aphonia or severe hypophonia; 4) tetraplegia or tetraparesis; 5) the main method of communication, used by the patient – movement of the eyes in a vertical or horizontal plane or blinking of the upper eyelid.The definition of this syndrome and the localization of its injuries, which cause it, became possible when long-term lung ventilation and neuroimaging methods ‒ spiral computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging ‒ were introduced into clinical practice. Three personal observations of the occurrence of the locked-in syndrome of different etiology are given: with ischemic damage to the ventral parts of the pons of the brain, with hemorrhage in the ventral parts of the pons, with traumatic damage to the ventral parts of the brain stem.The dynamics of neurological disorders, their adequate assessment during neuroimaging allow timely diagnosis of the localization of the process and the prognosis of the disease, and therefore the choice of methods of treatment, rehabilitation or long-term care for the patient.

Excess mortality and long-term disability from healthcare-associated carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections: A nationwide population-based matched cohort study.

Carbapenem resistance is perceived as a clinical challenge in the management of debilitated and immunocompromised patients who eventually will die from underlying diseases. We aimed to examine whether carbapenem resistance per se, rather than the underlying diseases, negatively affect outcomes, by comparing the excess mortality and morbidity from healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and carbapenem-susceptible A. baumannii (CSAB). This was a nationwide retrospective matched cohort study of hospitalized patients in 96 hospitals which participated in Taiwan Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (TNIS). A total of 2,213 patients with A. baumannii HAIs were individually matched to 4,426 patients without HAIs. Main outcomes were excess risks for one-year all-cause mortality and one-year new-onset chronic ventilator dependence or dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease. Excess one-year mortality was 27.2% in CRAB patients, compared with their matched uninfected inpatients, as well as 15.4% in CSAB patients (also compared with their matched uninfected inpatients), resulting in an attributable mortality of 11.8% (P <0.001) associated with carbapenem resistance. The excess risk associated with carbapenem resistance for new-onset chronic ventilator dependence was 5.2% (P <0.001). Carbapenem resistance was also associated with an extra cost of $2,511 per case of A. baumannii HAIs (P <0.001). Carbapenem resistance is associated with a significant disease burden in terms of excess mortality, long-term ventilator dependence, and medical cost. Further studies on effects of antimicrobial stewardship programs in decreasing this burden are warranted.

Tracheostomy complications in children: Single center experience

Objective: To evaluate the frequency and the type of complications in children with tracheostomy in our center&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Single-center retrospective study of pediatric patients undergoing tracheostomy between 2017 and 2022. Age, sex, indication of tracheostomy, tracheostomy time, the features of complications and presence of mortality were evaluated.&#x0D; Results: Fifty children (22 girls, 28 boys) were included the study. The mean age of patients 93.5 months. The tracheostomy time was before one year of age for 27 patients. The most common indication for tracheostomy was long-term ventilation. There were 30 complications for 23 patients.(46%) We did not report any early complication. The most common late complication was the development of granulation tissue. The second most common complication was cannula obstruction. Only one patient died due to massive bleeding associated with tracheostomy. We decannulated 7 patients (14%).&#x0D; Conclusion: The rates of complication may vary in the literature. The reason for this differentiation may be related to the different study design and population features.Also socio-economic level of the family and the responsibility awareness of the parents may contribute to these factors. Education of parents and caregivers about the appropriate postoperative management is very important for preventing complications rates.

Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy in a Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Experience.

A significant proportion of cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CSICU) patients require long-term ventilation, necessitating tracheostomy placement. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term postoperative outcomes and complications associated with percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in CSICU patients. All patients undergoing PDT after cardiac, thoracic, or vascular operations in the CSICU between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2021 were identified. They were evaluated for mortality, decannulation time, and complications including bleeding, infection, and need for surgical intervention. Multivariable regression models were used to identify predictors of early decannulation and the complication rate. Ninety-three patients were identified for this study (70 [75.3%] male and 23 [24.7%] female). Furthermore, 18.3% of patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 21.5% had history of stroke, 7.5% had end-stage renal disease, 33.3% had diabetes, and 59.1% were current smokers. The mean time from PDT to decannulation was 39 days. Roughly one-fifth (20.4%) of patients were on dual antiplatelet therapy and 81.7% had anticoagulation restarted 8 hours post-tracheostomy. Eight complications were noted, including 5 instances of bleeding requiring packing and 1 case of mediastinitis. There were no significant predictors of decannulation prior to discharge. Only COPD was identified as a negative predictor of decannulation at any point in time (hazard ratio, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.95; p=0.04). Percutaneous tracheostomy is a safe and viable alternative to surgical tracheostomy in cardiac surgery ICU patients. Patients who undergo PDT have a relatively short duration of tracheostomy and do not have major post-procedural complications.

854 Paediatric Tracheostomy Decannulation: An Updated Protocol at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH)

Abstract Introduction Tracheostomy decannulation is an extremely important part of tracheostomy care in paediatric patients. Due to the increased risk of morbidity1 (bleeding, respiratory infection, airway plugging, accidental decannulation) and mortality2 (0.5-3.6%) associated with prolonged tracheostomies, it is strongly advised to decannulate the paediatric patient as soon as the underlying cause for tracheostomy placement is corrected or resolved3. A simple to navigate protocol is required in order to establish a safe and efficient way of decannulation as well as knowing when and how to decannulate. The literature varies widely in regard to an optimal method and the process leading to decannulation can often be different for each individual patient; as such, this may require review on a case-by-case basis. Protocol We have developed an NUH specific protocol in the format of a flow chart to act as a guideline in successfully decannulating paediatric tracheostomies. It provides the foundations in assessing each paediatric patient’s clinical readiness and subsequent progression of decannulation. We have incorporated Mitchell et al’s 2013 clinical consensus statement on tracheostomy care as the primary resource for the creation of this protocol. It is suitable for any member of staff looking after paediatric patients with tracheostomies, whether they be situated on a paediatric ward, PHDU or PICU. In addition to care from parent teams and nursing staff, it is important for each paediatric tracheostomy patient to have input from the long-term ventilation (LTV) team who can offer support in the timing and progression of decannulation.