Treatment Of Chronic Respiratory Failure Research Articles

Benign inoperable tracheal stenosis in COVID versus non-COVID patients at the pandemic epicenter: a case series.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exponentially expanded the number of patients requiring treatment for chronic respiratory failure. One consequence is an increase in the number of patients requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. Benign inoperable tracheal stenosis presents a challenge, especially in COVID-19 patients. We describe a case series of 15 patients with Benign inoperable tracheal stenosis treated with interventional bronchoscopy over a 15-month period. These patients were divided into two groups, COVID and non-COVID. We used an electrocautery snare as an electrocautery knife to cut the stenotic segment followed by four injections of 1mg submucosal Decadron via a Wang needle. Patients were subsequently followed by the pulmonary clinic. Institutional review board approval was not required as per our institutional policy for a retrospective case series. There was a high degree of success with this intervention, with a low rate of recurrence. We also noticed the following differences between the two subgroups. COVID tracheal stenosis was longer in length, had a higher percentage of cartilage involvement, and was located more distal to cords than the non-COVID group. The median age was younger in the COVID group. COVID pandemic an enormous number of intubations and tracheotomies have been performed. As a result, there will be an increased prevalence of tracheal stenosis. Most of these cases can be effectively treated with surgery. Dealing with complex inoperable cases remains a dilemma. Our case series/research article is an attempt to provide an easy technique with a high cure rate.

Insuficiencia respiratoria crónica

The term chronic respiratory failure denotes a failure in the basic functions of gas exchange: the oxygenation of arterial blood and/or elimination of carbon dioxide. It can be classified as acute or chronic according to its time of onset, although the true difference is that compensatory mechanisms for tissue hypoxia are activated in the chronic form. The diagnosis is made by means of an arterial blood gas test and the possible etiologies comprise a very broad differential diagnosis which includes respiratory, cardiological, oncological, and neuromuscular diseases. The treatment of chronic respiratory failure is based on three fundamental pillars: general measures (among which stopping smoking is of note); optimization of the treatment for underlying disease and its complications; and the correction of hypoxemia and hypercapnia, mainly through oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation.

Home mechanical ventilation in children with chronic respiratory failure: a narrative review.

Advances in perinatal and pediatric intensive care and recent advances in mechanical ventilation during the last two decades have resulted in an exponential increase in the number of children undergoing home mechanical ventilation (HMV) treatment. Although its efficacy in chronic respiratory failure is well established, HMV in children is more complex than that in adults, and there are more considerations. This review outlines clinical considerations for HMV in children. The goal of HMV in children is not only to correct alveolar hypoventilation but also to maximize development as much as possible. The modes of ventilation and ventilator settings, including ventilation masks, tubing, circuits, humidification, and ventilator parameters, should be tailored to the patient's individual characteristics. To ensure effective HMV, education for the parent and caregiver is important. HMV continues to change the scope of treatment for chronic respiratory failure in children in that it decreases respiratory morbidity and prolongs life spans. Further studies on this topic with larger scale and systemic approach are required to ensure the better outcomes in this population.

Difficulties experienced by geriatric patients regarding respiratory devices and access to health services: A cross-sectional study

Background/Aim: In the treatment of chronic respiratory failure, long-term oxygen therapy at home (LTOT) and domiciliary noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) are important components of home care. The aim was to evaluate the compliance of geriatric patients with LTOT/NIV at home and their access to health services in the last year. Methods: Screening of 669 patients who were hospitalized in our pulmonary intensive care unit between 30.09.2019 and 30.09.2020 revealed a total of 109 patients over 80 years of age with chronic respiratory failure. Among them, 70 died after discharge. Six of the 39 surviving cases were excluded from the study because they were discharged without any LTOT and/or NIV devices, and the COVID-19 PCR tests of 4 patients were positive after discharge. The remaining 29 patients over 80 years of age were enrolled in the study. After questioning the patient's care status, caregivers were asked whether the patients were compliant with NIV and/or LTOT devices at home and their usage in terms of hours during the day and nighttime. In non-compliant patients, the reasons were acquired, and the answers were noted. They were asked whether they gave up on healthcare services and scheduled check-ups, had difficulties in getting a doctor's appointment, and whether they were incompliant with the appointments they made. If the answers were yes, they asked about their reasons for each question. Results: The median age was 85 (80-96) years, and 65.5% (n=19) of the cases were female. The diagnosis which led to hospitalization in 86.2% (n=25) of the patients was hypercapnic respiratory failure. Fifteen patients (51.7%) with LTOT and 9 patients (81.8%) with NIV did not use their devices as recommended. The patients' caregivers expressed that 22 patients (75.8%) could not meet their basic needs and 17 patients (77.2%) did not receive home care services provided by the Ministry of Health. Although the need arose in the post-discharge period, it was observed that 24 patients (82.7%) were not taken to the doctor and 20 patients (68.9%) did not schedule doctor visits after discharge. All caregivers stated that they were afraid of the COVID-19 pandemic and catching the COVID-19 disease from the emergency rooms and outpatient clinics. Conclusions: Our patients' compliance with the LTOT device was poor and 51.7% of the patients used the device less than recommended. Moreover, the patients were mostly incompliant with domiciliary NIV treatment. Receiving nonspecific home care services did not have any effect on LTOT and/or NIV compliance. It was observed that disruption in doctor visits and patient admissions leads to the decreased compliance with LTOT and/or NIV devices and loss of motivation to use these devices. The cases in this study avoided all kinds of admissions to the hospital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In such conditions, structured and specific home care services for geriatric respiratory failure patients become more important. Continuing education and motivation at home will increase the quality of life of the patients and improve compliance.

Monitoring of noninvasive ventilation: comparative analysis of different strategies

BackgroundNoninvasive ventilation (NIV) represents an effective treatment for chronic respiratory failure. However, empirically determined NIV settings may not achieve optimal ventilatory support. Therefore, the efficacy of NIV should be systematically monitored. The minimal recommended monitoring strategy includes clinical assessment, arterial blood gases (ABG) and nocturnal transcutaneous pulsed oxygen saturation (SpO2). Polysomnography is a theoretical gold standard but is not routinely available in many centers. Simple tools such as transcutaneous capnography (TcPCO2) or ventilator built-in software provide reliable informations but their role in NIV monitoring has yet to be defined. The aim of our work was to compare the accuracy of different combinations of tests to assess NIV efficacy.MethodsThis retrospective comparative study evaluated the efficacy of NIV in consecutive patients through four strategies (A, B, C and D) using four different tools in various combinations. These tools included morning ABG, nocturnal SpO2, TcPCO2 and data provided by built-in software via a dedicated module. Strategy A (ABG + nocturnal SpO2), B (nocturnal SpO2 + TcPCO2) and C (TcPCO2 + builtin software) were compared to strategy D, which combined all four tools (NIV was appropriate if all four tools were normal).ResultsNIV was appropriate in only 29 of the 100 included patients. Strategy A considered 53 patients as appropriately ventilated. Strategy B considered 48 patients as appropriately ventilated. Strategy C misclassified only 6 patients with daytime hypercapnia.ConclusionMonitoring ABG and nocturnal SpO2 is not enough to assess NIV efficacy. Combining data from ventilator built-in software and TcPCO2 seems to represent the best strategy to detect poor NIV efficacy.Trialregistration Institutional Review Board of the Société de Pneumologie de Langue Française (CEPRO 2016 Georges)

A clinical case of long-term successful treatment of chronic respiratory failure in a patient with congenital kyphoscoliosis

A clinical case of a female patient of 44 years old with chronic respiratory failure (CRF) and alveolar hypoventilation caused by congenital kyphoscoliosis is described in this article. Noninvasive ventilation was initiated using bilevel positive air pressure (BiPAP) with the controlled minimal respiratory rate (the ST mode). The respiratory support was preformed around-the-clock with short breaks for eating and taking hygienic procedures; later, the respiratory support was administered at nighttime only combined with low-flow oxygen 3 to 4 L followed by the decrease of the oxygen flow to 2 L. Such treatment allowed active lifestyle including travelling and teaching. The patient was followed-up for 4 years. Nighttime oxygenation disorders are typical in severe kyphoscoliosis and precede the development of CRF at daytime. Noninvasive respiratory support can improve pulmonary ventilation during night sleep and gas exchange at waking time. Unfortunately, respiratory support is used very rarely in patients with stable CRF, as some physicians consider this treatment only in critical and terminal conditions.

National survey: current prevalence and characteristics of home mechanical ventilation in Hungary

BackgroundHome mechanical ventilation is an established treatment for chronic respiratory failure resulting in improved survival and quality of life. Technological advancement, evolving health care reimbursement systems and newly implemented national guidelines result in increased utilization worldwide. Prevalence shows great geographical variations and data on East-Central European practice has been scarce to date. The aim of the current study was to evaluate prevalence and characteristics of home mechanical ventilation in Hungary.MethodsWe conducted a nationwide study using an online survey focusing on patients receiving ventilatory support at home. The survey focused on characterization of the site (affiliation, type), experience with home mechanical ventilation, number of patients treated, indication for home mechanical ventilation (disease type), description of home mechanical ventilation (invasive/noninvasive, ventilation hours, duration of ventilation) and description of the care provided (type of follow up visits, hospitalization need, reimbursement).ResultsOur survey uncovered a total of 384 patients amounting to a prevalence of 3.9/100,000 in Hungary. 10.4% of patients received invasive, while 89.6% received noninvasive ventilation. The most frequent diagnosis was central hypopnea syndromes (60%), while pulmonary (20%), neuromuscular (11%) and chest wall disorders (7%) were less frequent indications. Daily ventilation need was less than 8 h in 74.2%, between 8 and 16 h in 15.4% and more than 16 h in 10.4% of patients reported. When comparing sites with a limited (< 50 patients) versus substantial (> 50 patients) case number, we found the former had significantly higher ratio of neuromuscular conditions, were more likely to ventilate invasively, with more than 16 h/day ventilation need and were more likely to provide home visits and readmit patients (p < 0,001).ConclusionsOur results show a reasonable current estimate and characterization of home mechanical ventilation practice in Hungary. Although a growing practice can be assumed, current prevalence is still markedly reduced compared to international data reported, the duality of current data hinting to a possible gap in diagnosis and care for more dependent patients. This points to the importance of establishing home mechanical ventilation centers, where increased experience will enable state of the art care to more dependent patients as well, increasing overall prevalence.

Efficient treatment of chronic respiratory failure associated with morbid obesity

Severe obesity sometimes leads to chronic respiratory failure. This condition is termed obesity-hypoventilation or Pickwickian syndrome. This article reports clinical observation illustrating effectiveness of noninvasive pressure support ventilation for the treatment of hypercapnic respiratory failure in a patient with morbid obesity. The treatment strategies for such patients are discussed.

Long-term non-invasive ventilation reduces readmissions in COPD patients with two or more episodes of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who have had an episode of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF) have a large 1-year risk of death or readmission. Acute non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to be an effective treatment of AHRF; and long-term NIV (LTNIV) has been shown to be an effective treatment of chronic respiratory failure in stable hypercapnic COPD. We investigated the effects of LTNIV in a group of patients with severe, unstable COPD: frequent admissions and multiple previous episodes of AHRF treated with NIV.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 20 COPD patients treated with LTNIV after two or more episodes of AHRF during 1 year.ResultsThe mean number of AHRF episodes decreased from 2.44 in the year prior to LTNIV initiation to 0.44 in the year following (p<0.0001). The median number of admissions decreased from 5.19 to 1.88 (p=0.0092). Four patients (20%) died in 1 year. LTNIV tended to reduce arterial CO2. No changes were found in lung function.ConclusionsLTNIV seems effective in reducing recurrent AHRF and readmissions in a highly select group of patients with severe, unstable COPD and frequent AHRF.

Randomized, dose-finding trial of ghrelin treatment for chronic respiratory failure.

Ghrelin, a growth hormone-releasing peptide, has shown efficacy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in previous trials. This study was designed to evaluate the effective dose of ghrelin in chronic respiratory failure patients. In this randomized, double-blind, dose-finding, single-center study, 18 patients, including 16 with COPD, were randomly assigned to receive pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) with intravenous ghrelin at 1 μg/kg or 2 μg/kg, twice daily for 3 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in peak oxygen uptake ( V˙o2). Secondary outcomes included changes in plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A levels, and exertional cardio-respiratory functions with blood gas analysis. With incremental exercise, there was no significant differences in the mean difference (high-dose ghrelin minus low-dose ghrelin) of peak V˙o2 (1.0 mL/kg/min, 95% CI: -0.6 to 2.6 mL/kg/min, between-group, P = 0.193). However, there were significant differences in the mean difference of (i) O2 -pulse (0.6 mL/beats, 95% CI: 0.0 to 1.1 mL/beats, between-group, P = 0.035) at iso-time; and ii) PaO2 (4.2 mmHg, 95% CI: 0.2 to 8.2 mmHg, between-group, P = 0.041) and PaCO2 (-3.1 mmHg, 95% CI: -6.0 to -0.3 mmHg, between-group, P = 0.034) at peak exercise. The mean difference in the plasma VEGF-A level was significantly inhibited by high dose-ghrelin with PR (-125.4 pg/mL, 95% CI: -235.2 to -15.5 pg/mL, between-group, P = 0.028). Although the primary outcome of the study was not met, high-dose ghrelin with PR improved exertional cardiac function and blood gas values, and inhibited circulating VEGF-A levels.

Hot Topics in Noninvasive Ventilation: Report of a Working Group at the International Symposium on Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Leuven, Belgium.

During the last few decades, attention has increasingly focused on noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the treatment of chronic respiratory failure. The University of Leuven and the University Hospitals Leuven therefore chose this topic for a 2-day working group session during their International Symposium on Sleep-Disordered Breathing. Numerous European experts took part in this session and discussed (1) NIV in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (when to start NIV, NIV and sleep, secretion management, and what to do when NIV fails), (2) recent insights in NIV and COPD (high-intensity NIV, NIV in addition to exercise training, and NIV during exercise training), (3) monitoring of NIV (monitoring devices, built-in ventilator software, leaks, and asynchronies) and identifying events during NIV; and (4) recent and future developments in NIV (target-volume NIV, electromyography-triggered NIV, and autoregulating algorithms).

Protocolo diagnóstico y tratamiento de la exacerbación de la insuficiencia respiratoria crónica en Urgencias

Chronic respiratory failure (CRF) can be categorized as hypoxemic or partial or type I when there is only hypoxemia with normocapnia and hypercapnic respiratory failure or global or type 2 in which hypercapnia along with hypoxemia is present. The diagnosis is based on the symptoms and on additional tests: pulse oximetry, chest radiography, electrocardiogram, bacteriological analysis of sputum, blood tests and arterial blood gas tests. Treatment of exacerbated CRF includes two fundamental sections: General measures for treatment of the underlying disease and trigger, as well as establishing standard hemodynamic support measures and specific treatment of the respiratory failure: oxygen therapy, noninvasive (NIMV) and/or invasive (IMV) mechanical ventilation.

Home Noninvasive Ventilation

Treatment of chronic respiratory failure with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is standard pediatric practice, and NIV systems are commonly used in the home setting. Although practice guidelines on the perioperative management of children supported with home NIV systems have yet to be published, increasingly these patients are referred for consultation regarding perioperative management. Just as knowledge of pharmacology underlies the safe prescription of medication, so too knowledge of biomedical design is necessary for the safe prescription of NIV therapy. The medical device design requirements developed by the Organization for International Standardization provide a framework to rationalize the safe prescription of NIV for hospitalized patients supported at home with NIV systems. This review article provides an overview of the indications for home NIV therapy, an overview of the medical devices currently available to deliver it, and a specific discussion of the management conundrums confronting anesthesiologists.

Durchführungsempfehlungen zur invasiven außerklinischen Beatmung

Due to chronic respiratory failure, a proportion of patients require long-term home ventilation therapy. The treating doctors, nurses and therapists, as well as employees of the health insurance provider, all require specialized knowledge in order to establish and monitor home ventilation. The following document represents a consensus formed by the participating specialist societies, the health insurers and their medical advisory services. The recommendations for accomplishing home mechanical ventilation are based on the "S2 Guidelines for Non-Invasive and Invasive Mechanical Ventilation for Treatment of Chronic Respiratory Failure", and provide advice about the necessary qualifications of medical and nursing practitioners working in specialised ventilation centres or in the home setting. Management of transfer, which comprises the medical, technical and organisational requirements for releasing the patient from hospital care, is of paramount importance. In outpatient care, the requirements for the recruitment of resources, monitoring of procedures, adjustment of ventilation, and frequency of check-ups are each addressed. The recommendations are supplemented by appendices which include patient transfer forms, checklists for the supply of basic resources for home ventilation, as well as a template for the letter of discharge from hospital.

Prevalence of Home Mechanical Ventilation in Poland

Home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is increasingly used in the treatment of chronic respiratory failure thanks to rapid technological development, increasing number of elderly people and extension of indications. The aim of the study was to assess: prevalence of HMV in Poland, the proportions of lung disease and neuromuscular patients using HMV and the type of interface (invasive v. non-invasive). The questionnaire was send to all institutions providing HMV in Poland and to regional departments of National Health System (NHS). All NHS departments responded. They reported 846 HMV users, 31% of children. The prevalence of HMV in Poland was assessed as 2,2 patient per 100.000 population without striking differences between provinces. Among 39 HMV centers in Poland 12 (31%) answered. They reported 206 patients (24% of all HMV users). Proportion of ventilation mode consisted of 59% (122 pts) treated via a tracheostomy and 41% (84 pts) with non invasive ventilation (NIV). 168 patients (82%) had neuromuscular diseases (ND), majority of them muscular dystrophy - 57 patients ( 34% of ND) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - 39 patients (23% of ND). There were only 38 patients (18%) with lung and thoracic cage diseases: 17 with COPD and 10 with kyphoscoliosis. The prevalence of HMV treatment in Poland has developed dramatically in the last decade, but is still very low comparing to other European countries, especially due to very low number of patients with lung and chest wall diseases. The prevalence of invasive mode of ventilation is extremely high. The most important factors which inhibit development of HMV in Poland are: omission of respiratory physicians in the process of qualification, lack of national guidelines, sophisticated demands for HMV providers. The awareness of the need of HMV especially in patients with respiratory failure due to obesity hypoventilation syndrome and restrictive lung diseases should be increased among chest physicians.

Guidelines for Non-Invasive and Invasive Mechanical Ventilation for Treatment of Chronic Respiratory Failure

Martina Bögel, Weinmann GmbH, HamburgAndreas Bosch, Heinen & Löwenstein GmbH, Bad EmsJörg Brambring, Heimbeatmungsservice Brambring Jaschke GmbH, UnterhachingStephan Budweiser, Klinik DonaustaufDominic Dellweg, Fachkrankenhaus Kloster Grafschaft GmbH, SchmallenbergPeter Demmel, MDK Bayern, MünchenRolf Dubb, Klinikum Stuttgart – Katharinen hospitalJens Geiseler, Asklepios Fachkliniken München-GautingFrank Gerhard, isb Ambulante Dienste gGmbH, WuppertalUwe Janssens, St.-Antonius-Hospital EschweilerThomas Jehser, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, BerlinAnne Kreiling, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e. V., BaunatalThomas Köhnlein, Medizinische Hochschule HannoverUwe Mellies, Universitätsklinikum EssenF. Joachim Meyer, Medizinische Universitätsklinik HeidelbergWinfried Randerath, Krankenhaus Bethanien gGmbH, SolingenBernd Schönhofer, Klinikum Hannover OststadtBernd Schucher, Krankenhaus GroßhansdorfKarsten Siemon, Fachkrankenhaus Kloster Grafschaft GmbH, SchmallenbergHelmut Sitter, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg GmbH (Vertreter der AWMF)Jan Hendrik Storre, Universitätsklinik FreiburgStephan Walterspacher, Universitätsklinik FreiburgSteffen Weber-Carstens, Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinWolfram Windisch, Universitätsklinik FreiburgMartin Winterholler, Krankenhaus Rummelsberg, SchwarzenbruckKurt Wollinsky, Universitäts- und Rehabilitations kliniken Ulm

Treatment of chronic respiratory failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Treatment of chronic respiratory failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Bi-level home ventilators for non invasive positive pressure ventilation

With the widespread use of non-invasive positive pressure mechanical ventilation, great efforts have been made to produce machines, the bi-level home ventilators, which are less sophisticated, cheaper and able to better compensate air leaks with respect to the domiciliary volume-target machines and the traditional ventilators used in intensive care unit. As consequence of quick technologic evolution, bi-level home ventilators may be nowadays successfully applied for both the non-invasive ventilatory domiciliary treatment of chronic respiratory failure and the management of acute respiratory failure especially outside the intensive care setting. In this paper, the author describes the technical aspects, the individual characteristics and the clinical applications of the most common used bi-level ventilators.

Consultation with the Specialist

Consultation with the Specialist

Treatment of chronic respiratory failure in kyphoscoliosis: oxygen or ventilation?

Patients with kyposcoliosis and chronic respiratory insufficiency are treated either with home oxygen therapy or ventilation. Kyphoscoliotic patients demonstrate impaired ventilatory mechanics, consequently ventilation seems to be the treatment of choice. Yet, no randomised controlled trials (CRT) exist to prove it. Most investigators find it difficult to ethically justify a CRT. Therefore, the current authors performed the following retrospective study: survival and pulmonary function were analysed in all consecutive kyphoscoliotic patients who started long-term oxygen therapy (LTO group; n=15, aged 62+/-11 yrs (mean+/-SD)) or LTO plus nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (nNIPPV group; n=18, aged 61+/-7 yrs) in the Dept of Pulmonology (University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven) between 1990-2002. Prior to treatment partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) was lower, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) tended to be higher and vital capacity (VC) tended to be lower in the nNIPPV group than in the LTO group (PO2 5.9+/-1 versus 6.7+/-0.9 kPa (44+/-8 versus 50+/-7 mmHg), PCO2 8+/-1 versus 7.3+/-0.9 kPa (60+/-8 versus 55+/-7 mmHg), VC 32+/-12 versus 40+/-16% predicted, or 645+/-244 versus 970+/-387 mL). In the nNIPPV group the 1-yr survival was higher (100% versus 66%). nNIPPV patients demonstrated an improvement in PO2 (breathing air) +54%, PCO2 (breathing air) -21%, VC +47% and maximal static inspiratory mouth pressure +33%; these improvements were absent in the LTO group. In conclusion, nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation, plus long-term oxygen therapy results in more favourable survival and changes in blood gases and respiratory function than long-term oxygen therapy alone.