TOPIC: Critical Care TYPE: Late Breaking PURPOSE: The purposes of this study are to correlate the incidence of ventilator-induced diaphragmatic injury in the MICU to patient outcomes, and to assess for associations between diaphragmatic dysfunction and modifiable variables in mechanical ventilator management or sedation strategy. METHODS: Adult critically-ill patients admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital MICU were enrolled if intubated, mechanically ventilated, and qualified for a breathing trial. Diaphragm thickness, thickening fraction, and excursion were measured by bedside ultrasound, alongside an airway occlusion maneuver and maximum inspiratory pressure. These measurements were correlated with patient outcome variables, including duration of mechanical ventilation, re-intubation within 7 days of extubation, NIV following extubation, tracheostomy, and death during hospitalization, as well as modifiable ventilator settings and level of sedation. RESULTS: In an analysis of our first 13 patients, we found that there was a non-statistical difference in length of hospital stay between those with a reduced diaphragm thickening fraction (TF) ≤ 20% vs those with a normal TF (49.75 vs 32.22 days, p=0.087), although there was no difference in days on mechanical ventilation or length of ICU stay. When dividing patient subsets into categories of reduced or excessive effort (TF ≤ 20% or TF > 30%) vs normal effort (20% < TF ≤ 30%), we found that only those with abnormal effort had re-intubation within 7 days of extubation (3 vs 0) or required tracheostomy (3 vs 0). Those with a diaphragm thickening fraction ≤ 20% had near-statistically significant differences in admission APACHE II score (20.5 in low TF vs 15 in normal TF, p=0.063), as well as lower ventilatory pressure support (inspiratory pressure 17.78 cmH2O in low TF vs 22.39 cmH2O in normal TF, p=0.099). CONCLUSIONS: Although underpowered given a small initial dataset, our study may indicate that a reduced thickening fraction at time of breathing trial may correlate with a prolonged hospital stay, although is not a marker for prolonged mechanical ventilation. Reduced or increased effort may also suggest increased risk of re-intubation or need for tracheostomy. It is also important to note that those who had a higher severity of critical illness at time of intubation, and those who received less inspiratory support while on mechanical ventilation, had a reduced thickening fraction relative to those less ill or receiving greater pressure support. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Only recently has diaphragmatic myotrauma been characterized as a potential mediator for prolonged mechanical ventilation and poor patient outcomes. However, the assessment of its presence by simple, reproducible, and non-invasive means has remained elusive, and its clinical utility dubious at best. This study illustrates the potential use of ultrasound-based diaphragmatic thickening fraction at time of spontaneous breathing trial as a measure of normal, decreased, or increased respiratory muscle effort, and how this may correlate to length of hospital stay, risk of re-intubation, and need for tracheostomy. It also suggests that the level of critical illness may correspond with a higher incidence of diaphragmatic injury, and that increased mechanical support, while maintaining lung protective strategy, may help maintain normal respiratory muscle function. Further studies will be necessary in the future to corroborate these results. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Jan Fouad, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Lauren Killingsworth, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Margaret Pisani, source=Web Response
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