Flow Index accurately identifies breaths with low or high inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation

Background Flow Index, a numerical expression of the shape of the inspiratory flow-time waveform recorded during pressure support ventilation, is associated with patient inspiratory effort. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of Flow Index in detecting high or low inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation and to establish cutoff values for the Flow index to identify these conditions. The secondary aim was to compare the performance of Flow index,of breathing pattern parameters and of airway occlusion pressure (P0.1) in detecting high or low inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation. Methods Data from 24 subjects was included in the analysis, accounting for a total of 702 breaths. Breaths with high inspiratory effort were defined by a pressure developed by inspiratory muscles (Pmusc) greater than 10 cmH2O while breaths with low inspiratory effort were defined by a Pmusc lower than 5 cmH2O. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of Flow Index and respiratory rate, tidal volume,respiratory rate over tidal volume and P0.1 were analyzed and compared to identify breaths with low or high inspiratory effort. Results Pmusc, P0.1, Pressure Time Product and Flow Index differed between breaths with high, low and intermediate inspiratory effort, while RR, RR/VT and VT/kg of IBW did not differ in a statistically significant way. A Flow index higher than 4.5 identified breaths with high inspiratory effort [AUC 0.89 (CI 95% 0.85–0.93)], a Flow Index lower than 2.6 identified breaths with low inspiratory effort [AUC 0.80 (CI 95% 0.76–0.83)]. Conclusions Flow Index is accurate in detecting high and low spontaneous inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation

Physiological effects of lung protective ventilation in patients with lung fibrosis and usual interstitial pneumonia pattern versus primary ARDS: a matched-control study.

Background- Although patients with interstitial pneumonia pattern (ILD-UIP) and acute exacerbation (AE) leading to severe acute respiratory failure may require invasive mechanical ventilation (MV), physiological data on lung mechanics during MV are lacking. We aimed at describing the physiological effect of lung protective ventilation in patients with AE-ILD-UIP compared with primary ARDS. Methods- Partitioned lung and chest wall mechanics were assessed in a series of AE-ILD-UIP patients matched 1:1 with primary ARDS as controls (based on BMI and PaO2/FiO2 ratio). Three PEEP levels (zero=ZEEP, 4-8 cmH2O=PEEPLOW, and titrated to achieve positive end-expiratory transpulmonary pressure-PL,EE=PEEPTITRATED) were used for measurements. Results- Ten AE-ILD-UIP patients and 10 matched ARDS were included. In AE-ILD-UIP median PL,EE at ZEEP was - 4.3 [-7.6 – -2.3] cmH2O and lung elastance (EL) 44 [40 – 51] cmH2O/L. At PEEPLOW, PL,EE remained negative and EL did not change (p=0.995) versus ZEEP. At PEEPTITRATED, PL,EE increased to 0.8 [0.3 – 1.5] cmH2O and EL to 49 [43 – 59] (p=0.004 and p<0.001 compared to ZEEP and PEEPLOW, respectively). PL decreased at PEEPLOW (p=0.018) and increased at PEEPTITRATED (p=0.003). In matched ARDS control PEEP titration to obtain a positive PL,EE did not result in significant changes in EL and PL. Conclusions- In mechanically ventilated AE-ILD-UIP patients, differently than in patients with primary ARDS, PEEP titrated to obtain a positive PL,EE significantly worsened lung mechanics

Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF. Methods: We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death. Results: We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population

Beta-Blocker Use in Older Hospitalized Patients Affected by Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Italian Survey From the REPOSI Register

Beta (β)-blockers (BB) are useful in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, the use of BBs could induce bronchoconstriction due to β2-blockade. For this reason, both the ESC and GOLD guidelines strongly suggest the use of selective β1-BB in patients with HF and COPD. However, low adherence to guidelines was observed in multiple clinical settings. The aim of the study was to investigate the BBs use in older patients affected by HF and COPD, recorded in the REPOSI register. Of 942 patients affected by HF, 47.1% were treated with BBs. The use of BBs was significantly lower in patients with HF and COPD than in patients affected by HF alone, both at admission and at discharge (admission, 36.9% vs. 51.3%; discharge, 38.0% vs. 51.7%). In addition, no further BB users were found at discharge. The probability to being treated with a BB was significantly lower in patients with HF also affected by COPD (adj. OR, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.37-0.67), while the diagnosis of COPD was not associated with the choice of selective β1-BB (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.33, 0.76-2.34). Despite clear recommendations by clinical guidelines, a significant underuse of BBs was also observed after hospital discharge. In COPD affected patients, physicians unreasonably reject BBs use, rather than choosing a β1-BB. The expected improvement of the BB prescriptions after hospitalization was not observed. A multidisciplinary approach among hospital physicians, general practitioners, and pharmacologists should be carried out for better drug management and adherence to guideline recommendations

The “Diabetes Comorbidome”: A Different Way for Health Professionals to Approach the Comorbidity Burden of Diabetes

(1) Background: The disease burden related to diabetes is increasing greatly, particularly in older subjects. A more comprehensive approach towards the assessment and management of diabetes’ comorbidities is necessary. The aim of this study was to implement our previous data identifying and representing the prevalence of the comorbidities, their association with mortality, and the strength of their relationship in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes, developing, at the same time, a new graphic representation model of the comorbidome called “Diabetes Comorbidome”. (2) Methods: Data were collected from the RePoSi register. Comorbidities, socio-demographic data, severity and comorbidity indexes (Cumulative Illness rating Scale CIRS-SI and CIRS-CI), and functional status (Barthel Index), were recorded. Mortality rates were assessed in hospital and 3 and 12 months after discharge. (3) Results: Of the 4714 hospitalized elderly patients, 1378 had diabetes. The comorbidities distribution showed that arterial hypertension (57.1%), ischemic heart disease (31.4%), chronic renal failure (28.8%), atrial fibrillation (25.6%), and COPD (22.7%), were the more frequent in subjects with diabetes. The graphic comorbidome showed that the strongest predictors of death at in hospital and at the 3-month follow-up were dementia and cancer. At the 1-year follow-up, cancer was the first comorbidity independently associated with mortality. (4) Conclusions: The “Diabetes Comorbidome” represents the perfect instrument for determining the prevalence of comorbidities and the strength of their relationship with risk of death, as well as the need for an effective treatment for improving clinical outcomes

Antidiabetic Drug Prescription Pattern in Hospitalized Older Patients with Diabetes

Objective: To describe the prescription pattern of antidiabetic and cardiovascular drugs in a cohort of hospitalized older patients with diabetes. Methods: Patients with diabetes aged 65 years or older hospitalized in internal medicine and/or geriatric wards throughout Italy and enrolled in the REPOSI (REgistro POliterapuie SIMI—Società Italiana di Medicina Interna) registry from 2010 to 2019 and discharged alive were included. Results: Among 1703 patients with diabetes, 1433 (84.2%) were on treatment with at least one antidiabetic drug at hospital admission, mainly prescribed as monotherapy with insulin (28.3%) or metformin (19.2%). The proportion of treated patients decreased at discharge (N = 1309, 76.9%), with a significant reduction over time. Among those prescribed, the proportion of those with insulin alone increased over time (p = 0.0066), while the proportion of those prescribed sulfonylureas decreased (p < 0.0001). Among patients receiving antidiabetic therapy at discharge, 1063 (81.2%) were also prescribed cardiovascular drugs, mainly with an antihypertensive drug alone or in combination (N = 777, 73.1%). Conclusion: The management of older patients with diabetes in a hospital setting is often sub-optimal, as shown by the increasing trend in insulin at discharge, even if an overall improvement has been highlighted by the prevalent decrease in sulfonylureas prescription

Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF. Methods: We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death. Results: We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population

Recruitment-to-inflation ratio reflects the impact of peep on dynamic lung strain in a highly recruitable model of ARDS

Abstract Background The recruitment-to-inflation ratio (R/I) has been recently proposed to bedside assess response to PEEP. The impact of PEEP on ventilator-induced lung injury depends on the extent of dynamic strain reduction. We hypothesized that R/I may reflect the potential for lung recruitment (i.e. recruitability) and, consequently, estimate the impact of PEEP on dynamic lung strain, both assessed through computed tomography scan. Methods Fourteen lung-damaged pigs (lipopolysaccharide infusion) underwent ventilation at low (5 cmH2O) and high PEEP (i.e., PEEP generating a plateau pressure of 28–30 cmH2O). R/I was measured through a one-breath derecruitment maneuver from high to low PEEP. PEEP-induced changes in dynamic lung strain, difference in nonaerated lung tissue weight (tissue recruitment) and amount of gas entering previously nonaerated lung units (gas recruitment) were assessed through computed tomography scan. Tissue and gas recruitment were normalized to the weight and gas volume of previously ventilated lung areas at low PEEP (normalized-tissue recruitment and normalized-gas recruitment, respectively). Results Between high (median [interquartile range] 20 cmH2O [18–21]) and low PEEP, median R/I was 1.08 [0.88–1.82], indicating high lung recruitability. Compared to low PEEP, tissue and gas recruitment at high PEEP were 246 g [182–288] and 385 ml [318–668], respectively. R/I was linearly related to normalized-gas recruitment (r = 0.90; [95% CI 0.71 to 0.97) and normalized-tissue recruitment (r = 0.69; [95% CI 0.25 to 0.89]). Dynamic lung strain was 0.37 [0.29–0.44] at high PEEP and 0.59 [0.46–0.80] at low PEEP (p < 0.001). R/I was significantly related to PEEP-induced reduction in dynamic (r = − 0.93; [95% CI − 0.78 to − 0.98]) and global lung strain (r = − 0.57; [95% CI − 0.05 to − 0.84]). No correlation was found between R/I and and PEEP-induced changes in static lung strain (r = 0.34; [95% CI − 0.23 to 0.74]). Conclusions In a highly recruitable ARDS model, R/I reflects the potential for lung recruitment and well estimates the extent of PEEP-induced reduction in dynamic lung strain

Can diaphragmatic ultrasonography performed during the T-tube trial predict weaning failure? The role of diaphragmatic rapid shallow breathing index

Background: The rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), which is the ratio between respiratory rate (RR) and tidal volume (VT), is one of the most widely used indices to predict weaning outcome. Whereas the diaphragm plays a fundamental role in generating VT, in the case of diaphragmatic dysfunction the inspiratory accessory muscles may contribute. If this occurs during a weaning trial, delayed weaning failure is likely since the accessory muscles are more fatigable than the diaphragm. Hence, we hypothesised that the traditional RSBI could be implemented by substituting VT with the ultrasonographic evaluation of diaphragmatic displacement (DD). We named the new index the diaphragmatic-RSBI (D-RSBI). The aim of this study was to compare the ability of the traditional RSBI and D-RSBI to predict weaning failure in ready-to-wean patients. Methods: We performed a prospective observational study. During a T-tube spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) we simultaneously evaluated right hemidiaphragm displacement (i.e., DD) by using M-mode ultrasonography as well as the RSBI. Outcome of the weaning attempt, length of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, and hospital mortality were recorded. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of D-RSBI and RSBI. Results: We enrolled 51 patients requiring mechanical ventilation for more than 48 h who were ready to perform a SBT. Most of the patients, 34 (66 %), were successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation. When considering the 17 patients that failed the weaning attempt, 11 (64 %) had to be reconnected to the ventilator during the SBT, three (18 %) had to be re-intubated within 48 h of extubation, and three (18 %) required non-invasive ventilation support within 48 h of extubation. The areas under the ROC curves for D-RSBI and RSBI were 0.89 and 0.72, respectively (P = 0.006). Conclusions: D-RSBI (RR/DD) was more accurate than traditional RSBI (RR/VT) in predicting the weaning outcome. Trial registration: Our clinical trial was retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT02696018). ClinicalTrials.gov processed our record on 25 February 2016