ICU survival of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

The ICU records of 31 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were reviewed. Of 23 (74%) patients admitted for respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation, 20 (87%) patients had Pneumocystis carinii and/or cytomegalovirus pneumonia. Of the eight patients admitted without respiratory failure, five (63%) were monitored after brain biopsy. Respiratory failure patients remained in the ICU for 10 +/- 1 days, compared to 5 +/- 1 days for those without respiratory failure (p less than .05). Overall mortality was 24 patients (77%); 21 (91%) of 23 respiratory failure patients died, compared to three (38%) of the eight without respiratory failure (p less than .01). All seven ICU survivors lived to hospital discharge.     

Demographics and clinical outcomes of patients admitted to a respiratory intensive care unit located in a rehabilitation center

INTRODUCTION: A recent survey of respiratory intensive care units (RICU) in Italy showed that RICUs in Italy are mainly (85%) located in acute care hospitals. Forty-seven percent of the patients are admitted from emergency departments, and only 18% are admitted from intensive care units (ICU), so the percentage of patients admitted for difficulty in weaning is low (8%). Patient demographics and admission patterns in RICUs located outside acute care hospitals have not been previously described. METHODS: We analyzed admission patterns, demographics, treatment, and outcomes of patients during the first year of operation of a 7-bed RICU located in a rehabilitation center that does not have an emergency department. RESULTS: In the 1-year study period, 96 RICU patients were admitted for acute or chronic respiratory failure. The patients' mean Simplified Acute Physiology Score II was 28.9 +/- 3.6. Sixty-five percent of the patients were transferred from the ICU, 17% from medical wards of other hospitals, 7% and 5%, respectively, from the medical and surgical wards of our hospital, and 6% came directly from home for a periodic check. Difficulty in weaning from mechanical ventilation was the main reason for admission (42%), followed by simple monitoring (37%) and need for acute ventilatory invasive or noninvasive support (21%). Thirty-one patients had COPD, 23 had acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, 30 had post-surgical complications, and 12 had neuromuscular disease. Twenty-seven of 40 patients admitted for difficulty in weaning were liberated from ventilation. Intrahospital mortality was 13%. Fifty percent of patients were discharged directly to home; those patients' mean Dependence Nursing Scale score (which measures the degree of patient independence) improved during hospital stay (decreased from 23 to 12 [p < 0.05]), whereas the remaining patients were transferred to long-term facilities or an acute care hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The admission pattern at our RICU in a rehabilitation center is quite different from that of an RICU in an acute care hospital. Most of our patients are admitted from ICU because of difficulty with weaning. This may be the consequence of the institutional philosophy of rehabilitation centers, which strive to achieve greater patient independence.     

The effect of home respiratory therapy on hospital readmission rates of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The South Hills Health System Home Health Agency, Homestead, Pennsylvania, studied the effect of home respiratory therapy on hospital readmission rates in 418 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Respiratory therapists evaluated and followed referred patients in their homes. Oxygen, breathing equipment, and supplies were provided, and patients were educated in use, cleaning, and maintenance of equipment. Data for the study were taken from hospital records, home assessments, and discharge summaries. All patients studied had been hospitalized in the year prior to receiving home respiratory therapy. After 12 months of follow-up, 64% had not been rehospitalized. In the year prior to home respiratory therapy, the average number of hospital admissions per patient had been 1.28, with the average length of hospital stay being 18.25 days. During the home respiratory therapy study period of 12 months, the average number of hospital admissions was 0.48, with the average length of hospital stay being 6.09 days. These results indicate that home care provided by respiratory therapists can significantly reduce the rehospitalization of COPD patients. Prevention of rehospitalization in the study group resulted in estimated average hospital costs of savings of $2,625 per per patient for the year. As a result of this study, two large local industrial employers, the Federal Black Lung program, and Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania have added respiratory therapy to their home health benefits.     

Are we selecting the right patients for stroke rehabilitation in nursing homes?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of stroke rehabilitation in the nursing home on community discharge rates and functional status among patients stratified by propensity to receive rehabilitation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Medicaid-certified nursing homes (N=945) in Ohio. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with stroke (N=2013) admitted to an Ohio nursing home. INTERVENTION: Rehabilitation therapy services. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The propensity to receive rehabilitation, used to adjust for selection bias, was calculated for each patient by using a logistic regression model. Community discharge and change in functional status, measured by using a crosswalk to the FIM instrument, were determined 3 months after admission. RESULTS: By 3 months after admission, 36.9% of the patients were discharged to the community, 16.6% had died, and 46.5% remained in the nursing home. The overall effect of rehabilitation on community discharge (relative risk [RR]=1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-1.85) was not homogeneous across subgroups stratified by propensity to receive rehabilitation. Patients less likely to receive rehabilitation, as measured by a lower propensity score, had a significant benefit in terms of community discharge (RR=1.65; 95% CI, 1.35-1.97), but those more likely to receive services did not (RR=1.21; 95% CI, 0.87-1.56). Among long-term nursing home residents, rehabilitation services were not associated with improved functional status. CONCLUSIONS: With respect to community discharge, patients who were less likely to receive rehabilitation therapy appear to receive greater benefit from rehabilitation services than those who were more likely to receive rehabilitation. This finding raises concerns about current selection practices for rehabilitation services. Research is needed to identify the patients most likely to benefit, especially in the present fiscally constrained reimbursement environment.     

无创呼吸机治疗慢性阻塞性肺病并发Ⅱ型呼吸衰竭76例临床分析

目的 探讨鼻面罩双水平气道正压通气(BiPAP)治疗慢性阻塞性肺病(COPD)并发Ⅱ型呼吸衰竭的治疗作用.方法 76例COPD急性加重期并发Ⅱ型呼吸衰竭患者应用BiPAP呼吸机辅助通气治疗,通过自身对照观察患者治疗前、后血气指标和病情改善程度.结果 经BiPAP呼吸机治疗无创呼吸机通气3 d后66例患者与治疗前比较动脉血氧分压(PaO2)明显升高,动脉血二氧化碳分压(PaCO2)明显降低,pH、心率、呼吸频率明显改善,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01).结论 应用BiPAP呼吸机辅助治疗COPD合并呼吸衰竭可提高PaO2,降低PaCO2,改善通气,值得临床推广应用.     

Suggestions for establishment of pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the second greatest cause of disability in the USA. COPD rehabilitation programs can reduce numbers of rehospitalizations, reduce overall costs of care, and improve the quality of patients' lives. A rehabilitation program must address both physical and emotional disability and must be designed for the individual patient's unique life-pattern. The program should be a team effort, involving physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, psychologists, social workers, and, at times, other allied health personnel. Respiratory therapists can participate in pulmonary rehabilitation programs in program design and evaluation, in interviewing, educating, and counseling patients and families, by performing respiratory and physical therapy, and in vital research on costs and benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation. In addition, some respiratory therapy managers may direct financial management of such programs.     

Pulmonary rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a scientific and political agenda

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is the standard of care for patients suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This report describes and defines PR and reviews the evidence regarding the efficacy of PR. COPD management guidelines that include PR have been published by the European Respiratory Society, the American Thoracic Society, and the British Thoracic Society, and those guidelines were supported by evidence-based guidelines published jointly by the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, which is also evidence-based, included the recommendation for referral to PR. Despite those recommendations, the availability of comprehensive PR programs (defined as being compliant with national practice standards) is limited. In the United States the lack of a national policy for PR reimbursement has led to differences in compensation among insurance providers, based on differences in the Local Medical Review Policies established by the "fiscal intermediaries." Since 1998 the American Association for Respiratory Care, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, and the National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care have jointly lobbied for clear, consistent guidelines from the United States Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA, which was recently renamed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS]). In 2002 new Medicare/Medicaid billing codes ("G codes") became available for billing PR procedures, but unfortunately the instructions for the use of those codes differ among the Local Medical Review Policies. There has been little success in the effort to establish a national coverage policy for PR. The respiratory therapist holds a unique role in PR. In the respiratory therapist's training curriculum PR is specifically addressed, making the respiratory therapist an asset to the multidisciplinary PR team. With their many clinical opportunities for making contact with COPD patients and physicians, respiratory therapists can be effective advocates for PR.     

Respiratory care protocol: an approach to in-hospital respiratory therapy.

The difficulty of delivering respiratory therapy according to currently accepted standards is an important problem in many hospitals. As a result of this problem in our hospital, we developed a new therapy delivery system--the Respiratory Care Protocol. In response to an order for Respiratory Care Protocol from an attending physician, a senior respiratory therapist evaluates the patient, prescribes specific respiratory therapy according to a protocol, and then daily re-evaluates the patient and makes appropriate therapeutic changes, including discontinuing respiratory therapy when appropriate. The Respiratory Care Protocol has been well-accepted by patients, physicians, and respiratory therapists, and by Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals evaluation teams. We believe that our use of the Respiratory Care Protocol has led to improved quality and to the reduced cost of our in-hospital respiratory care.     

肺康复联合家庭无创通气治疗稳定期COPD患者的效果观察

目的探讨肺康复联合家庭无创通气治疗稳定期COPD患者肺康复的效果。方法便利选取进行家庭无创通气的COPD患者45例,按随机数字表法分为干预组23例和对照组22例,干预组在家庭无创通气的同时给予肺康复治疗,对照组仅采用家庭无创通气治疗及常规健康指导。比较两组患者出院时、出院后6个月的肺功能、动脉血气、生活质量、6min步行试验距离。结果出院后6个月,干预组患者的肺功能与对照组及出院时相比差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）;PaCO2、PaO2、SaO2、生活质量及6min步行距离均优于出院时,且优于对照组同期（均P〈0．05）。结论肺康复治疗联合家庭无创通气比单纯应用无创通气更能改善患者出院后6个月的动脉血气和生活质量,提高患者的活动能力,值得在家庭治疗的稳定期COPD患者中推广应用。     

The future of respiratory care

The term respiratory care has more than one meaning, referring both to a subject area within clinical medicine and to a distinct health care profession. In the light of several fundamental transformations of health care during the 20th century, this article reviews the history of respiratory care in both of these contexts and offers 10 predictions for the future: (1) Less focus on raising P(aO2) as a primary goal in managing patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. (2) More attention to the adequacy of tissue oxygenation in such patients, irrespective of P(aO2), and the emergence of "permissive hypoxemia," analogous to permissive hypercapnia, in managing them. (3) Smarter monitors that display information less but process it more, while interacting directly with ventilators and other devices to modify therapeutic interventions. (4) Increased use of and expertise with noninvasive ventilation, with a corresponding decrease in intubations and complications, in treating patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. (5) Increased use of triage in the intensive care unit, including earlier determination of the appropriateness of maximal supportive intervention. (6) Greater use of protocols in patient assessment and management, in all clinical settings. (7) Increased awareness of, expertise in, and resources for palliative care, with a more active and acknowledged role for respiratory therapists. (8) Accelerating progress in smoking cessation and prevention, and also in early detection and intervention in COPD, led by the respiratory care profession. (9) An increasing presence and impact of respiratory therapists as coordinators and care givers in home care. (10) A continued and enlarging role for the journal Respiratory Care in disseminating research findings, clinical practice guidelines, protocols, and practical educational materials in all areas of the field.     

Legislation and respiratory rehabilitation.

The provision of respiratory rehabilitation services has been frustrated by legislative and regulatory omissions and struggles. The original Medicare and Medicaid statutes did not mention respiratory therapy services, a fact that has excluded reimbursement for such services in the home. However, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has ruled that outpatient rehabilitation is a reimbursable service, a point about which third-party payers sometimes have to be reminded. In 1980 the Medicare program was adjusted to provide for the creation of comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities (CORFs); the statute written then is the first to mention "respiratory therapy" as a reimbursable service. In 1982 regulations were published that included a detailed definition of recognized respiratory therapy services, and more recently HCFA released implementing regulations to fiscal intermediaries. However, the home care aspect of respiratory rehabilitation remains a legislative stepchild, permitting only one home evaluation visit, even though it has been reported in the literature that home respiratory care can be a cost saver. Home care by respiratory therapists probably will come, but experience shows that the Federal regulation maze can be very difficult to negotiate, especially in the face of opposition by the Administration.     

Noninvasive ventilation in the intensive care unit -- is it still negligible?

Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has been discussed comprehensively in the last years, but usage of non-invasive ventilation in Intensive Care Units is rare. The reasons may be uncertainty in indications and difficulties in handling the masks and ventilators. In the last years the introduction of full face masks and respiratory helmets has made it possible to ventilate patients with unusual facial forms and to avoid problems of pressure necrosis. Software components designed for NIPPV are available for standard respirators. Indications for NIPPV (neuromuscular diseases, spinal abnormalities, chest wall malformations, COPD, cardiogenic pulmonary edema) have been ensured in clinical trials. No sufficient data are available for the application of NIPPV in weaning and respiratory failure following extubation. Indication for NIPPV becomes apparent when therapy starts in early stage with sufficient ventilation pressure. Compared to standard therapy, no reliable advantage has been seen for NIPPV in hypoxic hypercapnia respiratory failure except for malignant diseases. However, prophylactic use in patients with high risk might be conceivable. For these patients strict criteria of termination are required to avoid missing the time point for intubation. Gas exchange disturbances in advanced lung fibrosis, pneumonia and ARDS are not amenable to NIPPV. Contraindications for NIPPV are non-compliant patients, absence of cough- and pharyngeal reflexes as well as retention of secretions and malignant ventricular arrhythmia. Relative contraindications are catecholamine-dependent circulatory collapse and acute myocardial infarction, since sufficient data for NIPPV are missing.     

出院后延续护理对COPD缓解期患者肺功能及生存质量的影响

【】目的 探讨以呼吸康复训练及气雾剂的规范使用为干预管理重点的延续护理实践对改善COPD缓解期患者的肺功能及生存质量的作用。方法 选择COPD缓解期住院患者65例,针对呼吸康复训练及气雾剂的规范使用方面存在的问题,制定相应的个性化出院管理计划,由专科护士及社区护士帮助患者落实护理计划,观察周期为6个月,分别用气雾剂使用评分表、肺功能相关指标(FEV1、FEV1/FVC%)、圣乔治呼吸问卷(SGRQ)进行干预前后效果评价。 结果 出院前1天及出院后6个月后气雾剂的规范使用干预后有改善(P<0.01),FEV1、FEV1/FVC%及圣乔治呼吸问卷(SGRQ)干预前后比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论 以呼吸康复训练及气雾剂的规范使用为干预管理重点的延续护理能提高患者依从性,延缓肺功能持续下降,改善患者生存质量。     

Respiratory care year in review 2010: part 1. asthma, COPD, pulmonary function testing, ventilator-associated pneumonia

The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature related to asthma, COPD, pulmonary function testing, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Topics covered related to asthma include genetics and epigenetics; exposures; viruses; diet, obesity and exercise; exhaled nitric oxide; and drug therapy (β agonists, macrolides, tiotropium and monteleukast). Topics covered related to COPD include childhood disadvantage factors and COPD; vitamin D deficiency and COPD; β-blockers and COPD; corticosteroid therapy during COPD exacerbations; oxygen administration during pre-hospital transport of patients with COPD exacerbation; and prognosis of patients admitted to the hospital for COPD exacerbation. Topics related to pulmonary function testing include methods and techniques; predicted values; natural history, pulmonary function in health and disease; and the COPD controversy. Finally, the paper includes the following topics related to ventilator-associated pneumonia: the tube, the intubation route, and the cuff; mechanical ventilation; the bundle; and cost. These topics were chosen and reviewed in a manner that is most likely to have interest to the readers of Respiratory Care.     

Exploring the quality of dying of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the intensive care unit: a mixed methods study

Rationale for the study:  Improving the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care in critical care settings is a high priority. Patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are frequently admitted to and die in critical care units. To date, there has been little research examining the quality of EOL care for this unique subpopulation of critical care patients.
Aims:  The aims of this study were (a) to examine critical care clinician perspectives on the quality of dying of patients with COPD and (b) to compare nurse ratings of the quality of dying and death between patients with COPD with those who died from other illnesses in critical care settings.
Design and sample:  A sequential mixed method design was used. Three focus groups provided data describing the EOL care provided to patients with COPD dying in the intensive care unit (ICU). Nurses caring for patients who died in the ICU completed a previously validated, cross-sectional survey (Quality of Dying and Death) rating the quality of dying for 103 patients.
Data analysis:  Thematic analysis was used to analyse the focus group data. Total and item scores for 34 patients who had died in the ICU with COPD were compared with those for 69 patients who died from other causes.
Results:  Three primary themes emerged from the qualitative data are as follows: managing difficult symptoms, questioning the appropriateness of care and establishing care priorities. Ratings for the quality of dying were significantly lower for patients with COPD than for those who died from other causes on several survey items, including dyspnoea, anxiety and the belief that the patient had been kept alive too long. The qualitative data allowed for in-depth explication of the survey results.
Conclusions:  Attention to the management of dyspnoea, anxiety and treatment decision-making are priority concerns when providing EOL care in the ICU to patients with COPD.     

Respiratory care year in review 2011: long-term oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, airway management, acute lung injury, education, and management

For the busy clinician, educator, or manager, it is becoming an increasing challenge to filter the literature to what is relevant to one's practice and then update one's practice based on the current evidence. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature related to long-term oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, airway management, acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory care education, and respiratory care management. These topics were chosen and reviewed in a manner that is most likely to have interest to the readers of Respiratory Care.     

有创机械通气治疗老年慢性阻塞性肺病患者院内病死率的相关因素分析

目的：探讨接受机械通气治疗的老年慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）患者院内病死率的影响因素。方法：采用回顾调查方法,将2004年1月-2007年6月河北医科大学第二医院呼吸科收治的接受有创机械通气的老年COPD患者93例,分为存活组和病死组,对临床资料进行统计学分析。结果：对老年患者存活组和病死组临床资料的分析发现,在两组之间治疗后血清白蛋白水平、基础疾病、并发多器官功能障碍综合征（MODS）、下呼吸道分泌物真菌培养阳性比较差异均有统计学意义,分别为（37．37±5．08）g·L^-1比（34．86±5．60）g·L^-1,88．7％比95．0%,5．7％比40．0％及24．5％比45．0％;进一步多因素Logistic回归分析发现,并发MODS是影响机械通气老年COPD患者生存的独立危险因素,其比值比（OR）值为0．316。结论：接受机械通气治疗的老年COPD患者病死率较非老年患者病死率高病死率增加,合并基础疾病和并发MODS多见;MODS是接受机械通气的老年COPD患者院内病死率增加的独立危险因素。     

家庭肺康复联合移动医疗应用程序在稳定期COPD患者中的应用效果研究

【】目的：探讨家庭肺康复联合移动医疗应用程序对慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)患者肺康复的效果。方法：便利抽样法选取2016年5月至2017年8月在上海同济大学附属同济医院门诊就诊的91名稳定期COPD患者为研究对象,按随机数字表法分为对照组(43人)和试验组(48人)。对照组给予常规家庭肺康复训练,试验组给予常规家庭肺康复训练和COPD管家应用程序进行干预。评价两组患者出院时、出院后3个月的肺功能、6 min步行试验距离和生活质量。结果：出院后3个月,试验组患者的肺功能与对照组相比无统计学差异(P > 0.05);6 min步行距离和生活质量评分均优于对照组(P < 0.05)。结论：家庭肺康复联合COPD管家应用程序有助于提高COPD患者的身体活动能力,改善其生活质量,值得在COPD患者中推广应用。     

呼吸操锻炼对慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者的作用

目的研究呼吸锻炼操对慢性阻塞性肺病（COPD）患者的影响。方法选取2010年6月-2011年5月60例COPD患者,随机分成常规治疗组（对照组）和呼吸操锻炼组（观察组）,对照组在常规内科治疗的基础上,进行健康教育和康复训练。观察组在对照组的基础上鼓励患者进行呼吸操锻炼。监测2组治疗前后肺功能、6分钟步行距离、血清白三烯、呼出气中一氧化氮浓度。结果观察组的肺功能、6分钟步行能力、血清白三烯水平、呼气NO含量均较对照组明显改善。结论呼吸操锻炼能明显促进COPD患者肺功能的改善,提高机体耐力,改善生活质量。     

Morbidity,mortality, and quality-of-life outcomes of patients requiring >or=14 days of mechanical ventilation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome and health-related quality of life of patients requiring >or=14 days of mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with post-ICU, cross-sectional, health-related quality-of-life survey. SETTING: A 17-bed ICU in a university hospital. PATIENTS: A consecutive cohort of 347 patients receiving mechanical ventilation for >or=14 days. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the patients enrolled in the study, 150 (44%) died in the ICU and 197 were discharged (58 of 197 died 1-57 months after discharge). Factors associated with ICU death according to multivariate logistic regression analysis were age >or=65 yrs, preadmission New York Heart Association functional class of >or=3, a preadmission immunocompromised status, septic shock at ICU admission, renal replacement therapy in the ICU, and nosocomial septicemia. Cox proportional hazards multivariate analysis identified age of >or=65, a preadmission immunocompromised status, and duration of mechanical ventilation for >35 days as independent predictors of death after ICU discharge. By contrast, postcardiac surgery patients had a better outcome. Health-related quality of life was evaluated for 87 of the 99 long-term survivors after a median follow-up of 3 yrs by using the Nottingham Health Profile and St. George's Respiratory questionnaires. Compared with those of a general French population, their scores were significantly worse for each of the Nottingham Health Profile domains, except social isolation. Nottingham Health Profile scores did not significantly differ between postcardiac and nonpostcardiac surgery patients, men and women (except that women felt more socially isolated), and patients with and without acute respiratory distress syndrome (except for more sleep disorders in those with acute respiratory distress syndrome). Finally, pulmonary-specific St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire global score was worse for acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged mechanical ventilation is associated with impaired health-related quality of life compared with that of a matched general population. Despite these handicaps, 99% of the patients evaluated were independent and living at home 3 yrs after ICU discharge. Future studies should focus on physical or psychosocial rehabilitation that could lead to improved management of patients after their ICU stay.