Adult Pulmonary Intensive and Intermediate Care Units: The Italian Thoracic Society (ITS-AIPO) Position Paper.

The imbalance between the prevalence of patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) and acute-on-chronic respiratory failure and the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds requires new solutions. The increasing use of non-invasive respiratory tools to support patients at earlier stages of ARF and the increased expertise of non-ICU clinicians in other types of supportive care have led to the development of adult pulmonary intensive care units (PICUs) and pulmonary intermediate care units (PIMCUs). As in other European countries, Italian PICUs and PIMCUs provide an intermediate level of care as the setting designed for managing ARF patients without severe non-pulmonary dysfunction. The PICUs and PIMCUs may also act as step-down units for weaning patients from prolonged mechanical ventilation and for discharging patients still requiring ventilatory support at home. These units may play an important role in the on-going coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This position paper promoted by the Italian Thoracic Society (ITS-AIPO) describes the models, facilities, staff, equipment, and operating methods of PICUs and PIMCUs.

Characteristics and mortality rates among patients requiring intermediate care: a national cohort study using linked databases.

BACKGROUND: Adults increasingly live and die with chronic progressive conditions into advanced age. Many live with multimorbidity and an uncertain illness trajectory with points of marked decline, loss of function and increased risk of end of life. Intermediate care units support mainly older adults in transition between hospital and home to regain function and anticipate and plan for end of life. This study examined the patient characteristics and the factors associated with mortality over 1 year post-admission to an intermediate care unit to inform priorities for care. METHODS: A national cohort study of adults admitted to intermediate care units in England using linked individual-level Hospital Episode Statistics and death registration data. The main outcome was mortality within 1 year from admission. The cohort was examined as two groups with significant differences in mortality between main diagnosis of a non-cancer condition and cancer. Data analysis used Kaplan-Meier curves to explore mortality differences between the groups and a time-dependant Cox proportional hazards model to determine mortality risk factors. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 76,704 adults with median age 81 years (IQR 70-88) admitted to 220 intermediate care units over 1 year in 2016. Overall, 28.0% died within 1 year post-admission. Mortality varied by the main diagnosis of cancer (total n = 3680, 70.8% died) and non-cancer condition (total n = 73,024, 25.8% died). Illness-related factors had the highest adjusted hazard ratios [aHRs]. At 0-28 days post-admission, risks were highest for non-cancer respiratory conditions (pneumonia (aHR 6.17 [95%CI 4.90-7.76]), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (aHR 5.01 [95% CI 3.78-6.62]), dementia (aHR 5.07 [95% CI 3.80-6.77]) and liver disease (aHR 9.75 [95% CI 6.50-14.6]) compared with musculoskeletal disorders. In cancer, lung cancer showed largest risk (aHR 1.20 [95%CI 1.04-1.39]) compared with cancer 'other'. Risks increased with high multimorbidity for non-cancer (aHR 2.57 [95% CI 2.36-2.79]) and cancer (aHR 2.59 [95% CI 2.13-3.15]) (reference: lowest). CONCLUSIONS: One in four patients died within 1 year. Indicators for palliative care assessment are respiratory conditions, dementia, liver disease, cancer and rising multimorbidity. The traditional emphasis on rehabilitation and recovery in intermediate care units has changed with an ageing population and the need for greater integration of palliative care.

From intensive care to step-down units: Managing patients throughput in response to COVID-19.

QUALITY PROBLEM OR ISSUE: The on-going COVID-19 pandemic may cause the collapse of healthcare systems because of unprecedented hospitalization rates. INITIAL ASSESSMENT: A total of 8.2 individuals per 1000 inhabitants have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in our province. The hospital predisposed 110 beds for COVID-19 patients: on the day of the local peak, 90% of them were occupied and intensive care unit (ICU) faced unprecedented admission rates, fearing system collapse. CHOICE OF SOLUTION: Instead of increasing the number of ICU beds, the creation of a step-down unit (SDU) close to the ICU was preferred: the aim was to safely improve the transfer of patients and to relieve ICU from the risk of overload. IMPLEMENTATION: A nine-bed SDU was created next to the ICU, led by intensivists and ICU nurses, with adequate personal protective equipment, monitoring systems and ventilators for respiratory support when needed. A second six-bed SDU was also created. EVALUATION: Patients were clinically comparable to those of most reports from Western Countries now available in the literature. ICU never needed supernumerary beds, no patient died in the SDU, and there was no waiting time for ICU admission of critical patients. SDU has been affordable from human resources, safety and economic points of view. LESSONS LEARNED: COVID-19 is like an enduring mass casualty incident. Solutions tailored on local epidemiology and available resources should be implemented to preserve the efficiency and adaptability of our institutions and provide the adequate sanitary response.

Intermediate Care Units: A Survey of Organization Practices Across the United States.

PURPOSE: Intermediate care units (IMCUs) represent an alternative care setting with nurse staffing levels between those of the general ward and the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite rising prevalence, little is known about IMCU practices across US hospitals. The purpose of this study is to characterize utilization patterns and assess for variation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 14-item survey was distributed to a random nationwide sample of pulmonary and critical care physicians between January and April 2017. RESULTS: A total of 51 physicians from 24 different states completed the survey. Each response represented a unique institution, the majority of which were public (59%), academic (73%), and contained at least 1 IMCU (65%). Of the IMCUs surveyed, 58% operated as 1 mixed unit that admitted medical, cardiac, and surgical patients as opposed to having separate subspecialty units. Ninety-one percent of units admitted step-down patients from the ICU, but 39% of units accepted a mix of step-up patients, step-down patients, postoperative patients, and patients from the emergency department. Intensivists managed care in 21% of units whereas 36% had no intensivist involvement. CONCLUSION: Organization practices vary considerably between IMCUs across institutions. The impact of different organization practices on patient outcomes should be assessed.

The Impact of Opening a Medical Step-Down Unit on Medically Critically Ill Patient Outcomes and Throughput: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the impact of adding a medical step-down unit (SDU) on patient outcomes and throughput in a medical intensive care unit (ICU). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Two academic tertiary care hospitals within the same health-care system. PATIENTS: Adults admitted to the medical ICU at either the control or intervention hospital from October 2013 to March 2014 (preintervention) and October 2014 to March 2015 (postintervention). INTERVENTIONS: Opening a 4-bed medical SDU at the intervention hospital on April 1, 2014. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Using standard summary statistics, we compared patients across hospitals. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we quantified the association of opening an SDU and outcomes (hospital mortality, hospital and ICU length of stay [LOS], and time to transfer to the ICU) after adjustment for secular trends in patient case-mix and patient-level covariates which might impact outcome. We analyzed 500 (245 pre- and 255 postintervention) patients in the intervention hospital and 678 (323 pre- and 355 postintervention) in the control hospital. Patients at the control hospital were younger (60.5-60.6 vs 64.0-65.4 years, P < .001) with a higher severity of acute illness at the time of evaluation for ICU admission (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score: 4.9-4.0 vs 3.9-3.9, P < .001). Using the difference-in-differences methodology, we identified no association of hospital mortality (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.81 [0.42 to 1.55], P = .52) or hospital LOS (% change [95% confidence interval]: -8.7% [-28.6% to 11.2%], P = .39) with admission to the intervention hospital after SDU opening. The ICU LOS overall was not associated with admission to the intervention hospital in the postintervention period (-23.7% [-47.9% to 0.5%], P = .06); ICU LOS among survivors was significantly reduced (-27.5% [-50.5% to -4.6%], P = .019). Time to transfer to ICU was also significantly reduced (-26.7% [-44.7% to -8.8%], P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Opening our medical SDU improved medical ICU throughput but did not affect more patient-centered outcomes of hospital mortality and LOS.

Analysis of Discharge Destination After Open Versus Minimally Invasive Surgery for Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients express strong opinion regarding discharge destination, preferring discharge home vs elsewhere. As focus on patient satisfaction increases, we sought to understand differences in postoperative discharge destination after minimally invasive vs open anatomic lung resection for lung cancer to guide patient education and management and better understand the postoperative patient experience. METHODS: Procedures were identified by Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases codes using the 2012-2017 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program dataset. Propensity score analysis was used to assess the relationship between the surgical approach and nonhome discharge destination (primary outcome) and postoperative complications; related, unplanned readmission; and mortality (secondary outcomes). RESULTS: A total of 17,303 patients underwent anatomic lung resection for lung cancer, including 10,121 (58.5%) minimally invasive and 7182 (41.5%) open resections. Patients undergoing open resection had 60% greater odds of nonhome discharge (P < .001), 58% greater odds of postoperative mortality (P = .003), 36% greater odds of postoperative complication (P < .001), and 17% greater odds of readmission (P = .04) compared with patients undergoing minimally invasive resection. CONCLUSIONS: The minimally invasive approach to lung resection for lung cancer offers patients a more desirable patient-centered postoperative experience, as well as more favorable clinical outcomes, and should be favored when feasible.

Initiation of Noninvasive Ventilation for Acute Respiratory Failure in a Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly used to manage acute respiratory failure in children, decreasing the need for mechanical ventilation. Safely managing these patients outside of the ICU improves ICU resource use. We measured the impact of a guideline permitting initiation of NIV in an intermediate care unit (IMCU) on ICU bed use. METHODS: A guideline for an NIV trial for acute respiratory failure was implemented in a 10-bed IMCU. The guideline stipulated criteria for initiation and maintenance of NIV. There were 4.5 years of intervention data collected. Baseline data were gathered for patients with acute respiratory failure who were transferred from the IMCU to the ICU for NIV initiation in the 3.25 years before guideline implementation. RESULTS: Three hundred eight patients were included: 101 in the baseline group and 207 in the intervention group. In the intervention group, 143 patients (69%) remained in the IMCU after NIV initiation, and 64 (31%) transferred to the ICU. A total of 656.4 ICU bed-days were saved in the intervention period (3.3 days per patient initiated on NIV in the IMCU). There was a significant decrease in the rate of intubation in the IMCU for patients awaiting ICU transfer (3 patients in the baseline group versus 0 patients in the intervention group; P = .035). CONCLUSIONS: The initiation of NIV in the IMCU for pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure saved ICU bed-days without increasing intubation in the IMCU for patients awaiting transfer. Close monitoring of these critically ill patients is a key component of their safe care.

In-hospital dementia-related deaths following implementation of the national dementia plan: observational study of national death certificates from 1996 to 2016.

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in places of dementia-related death following implementation of the national dementia plan and other policy initiatives. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Japan between October 1996 and September 2016. Four major changes in health and social care systems were identified: (1) the public long-term care insurance programme (April 2000); (2) community centres as a first access point for older residents (April 2006); (3) medical care system for older people (April 2008) and (4) the national dementia plan (April 2013). PARTICIPANTS: 9 60 423 decedents aged 65 years or older whose primary cause of death was Alzheimer's disease, vascular or other types of dementia or senility. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Place of death which was classified into 'hospital', 'intermediate geriatric care facility' (rehabilitation facility aimed at home discharge), 'nursing home' or 'own home'. RESULTS: The annual number of deaths at hospital was consistently increased over time from 1996 to 2016 (age-adjusted OR: 6.01; 95% CI 5.81 to 6.21 versus home deaths). Controlling for individual characteristics, regional supply of hospital and nursing home beds and other changes in health and social care systems, death from dementia following the national dementia plan was likely to occur in hospital (adjusted OR: 1.21; 95% CI 1.18 to 1.24), intermediate geriatric care facility (adjusted OR: 1.53; 95% CI 1.48 to 1.58) or nursing home (adjusted OR: 1.64; 95% CI 1.60 to 1.69) rather than at home. CONCLUSIONS: As the number of deaths from dementia increased over the decades, in-hospital deaths increased regardless of the national dementia plan. Further strategies should be explored to improve the availability of palliative and end-of-life care at patients' places of residence.

A Concept Analysis of Patient Participation in Intermediate Care.

OBJECTIVE: Although the concept of patient participation has been discussed for a number of years, there is still no clear definition of what constitutes the multidimensional concept, and the application of the concept in an intermediate care (IC) context lacks clarity. Therefore this paper seeks to identify and explore the attributes of the concept, to elaborate ways of understanding the concept of patient participation for geriatric patients in the context of IC. METHODS: Walker and Avant's model of Concept analysis [1] based on a literature review. RESULTS: Patient participation in the context of IC can be defined as a dynamic process emphasizing the person as a whole, focusing on the establishment of multiple alliances that facilitate individualized information and knowledge exchange, and ensuring a reciprocal engagement in activities within flexible and interactive/dynamic organizational structures. CONCLUSION: Patient participation in IC means involving patients and their relatives in holistic interdisciplinary collaborative decision-making. The results highlight the complexity of patient participation and contribute to a greater understanding of the influence of organizational structure and management. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The present study may provide a practical framework for researchers, policy makers and health professionals to facilitate patient participation in IC services.

Dynamic and Personalized Risk Forecast in Step-Down Units. Implications for Monitoring Paradigms.

RATIONALE: Cardiorespiratory insufficiency (CRI) is a term applied to the manifestations of loss of normal cardiorespiratory reserve and portends a bad outcome. CRI occurs commonly in hospitalized patients, but its risk escalation patterns are unexplored. OBJECTIVES: To describe the dynamic and personal character of CRI risk evolution observed through continuous vital sign monitoring of individual step-down unit patients. METHODS: Using a machine learning model, we estimated risk trends for CRI (defined as exceedance of vital sign stability thresholds) for each of 1,971 admissions (1,880 unique patients) to a 24-bed adult surgical trauma step-down unit at an urban teaching hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania using continuously recorded vital signs from standard bedside monitors. We compared and contrasted risk trends during initial 4-hour periods after step-down unit admission, and again during the 4 hours immediately before the CRI event, between cases (ever had a CRI) and control subjects (never had a CRI). We further explored heterogeneity of risk escalation patterns during the 4 hours before CRI among cases, comparing personalized to nonpersonalized risk. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Estimated risk was significantly higher for cases (918) than control subjects (1,053; P ≤ 0.001) during the initial 4-hour stable periods. Among cases, the aggregated nonpersonalized risk trend increased 2 hours before the CRI, whereas the personalized risk trend became significantly different from control subjects 90 minutes ahead. We further discovered several unique phenotypes of risk escalation patterns among cases for nonpersonalized (14.6% persistently high risk, 18.6% early onset, 66.8% late onset) and personalized risk (7.7% persistently high risk, 8.9% early onset, 83.4% late onset). CONCLUSIONS: Insights from this proof-of-concept analysis may guide design of dynamic and personalized monitoring systems that predict CRI, taking into account the triage and real-time monitoring utility of vital signs. These monitoring systems may prove useful in the dynamic allocation of technological and clinical personnel resources in acute care hospitals.

Opening of a respiratory intermediate care unit in a general hospital: impact on mortality and other outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory intermediate care units (RICUs) are specialized areas aimed at optimizing the cost-benefit ratio of care. No data exist about the impact of opening a RICU on hospital outcomes. OBJECTIVES: We wondered if opening a RICU may improve the outcomes of patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF), acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), or community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: We analyzed the discharge abstracts of 2,372 admissions to the RICU and internal medicine units (IMUs) for ARF, AECOPD, and CAP. The IMUs at the Hospital of Trieste comprise emergency and internal wards. In order to investigate the determinants of outcomes, a matched case-control study was performed using clinical records. RESULTS: The in-hospital mortality rate was lower in the RICU vs. IMUs (5.4 vs. 19.1%, p = 0.0001). Statistical differences did not change when comparing the RICU with the emergency and internal wards. After adjusting for potential confounders, the risk of death for patients with CAP, AECOPD, or ARF was significantly higher in the IMUs than in the RICU (OR 6.90, 3.19, and 6.7, respectively, p < 0.04). Both the frequency of transfer to the ICU (6 vs. 12%, p = 0.0001, OR 0.38) and the hospital stay (9.3 vs. 12.1 days, p = 0.0001) were reduced in patients admitted to the RICU compared to those admitted to non-RICUs. Significant differences were found in care management concerning chest physiotherapy, mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, and corticosteroids. CONCLUSIONS: The opening of a RICU may be advantageous to reduce in-hospital mortality, the need for ICU admission, and the hospital stay of patients with AECOPD, CAP, and ARF. Better use of care resources contributed to better patient management in the RICU.

Experiences of intermediate care among older people: a phenomenological study.

In the UK, intermediate care (IC) is conceived as a range of service models aimed at 'care closer to home' and involves the expansion and development of community health and social services. Intermediate care in Denmark is more clearly defined, where approximately 45% of all the counties in Denmark have established a community-based IC unit in which public health-care services are offered to older people who have completed their hospital treatment. The impact of this organisational initiative is yet to be explored. In particular, the knowledge of the patient perspective is sparse and contradictory. The aim of the study was to explore how older people experience being in an IC unit after hospital discharge and before returning to their home. Data were drawn from 12 semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using a phenomenological approach. The essence of being in an IC unit was envisioned as 'moments of conditional relief' that emerged from the following constituents: 'accessible, embracing care', 'a race against time', 'meals-conventions with modifications', 'contact on uneven terms', 'life on others' terms', and 'informal but essential help'.

The second national audit of intermediate care.

Intermediate care services have developed internationally to expedite discharge from hospital and to provide an alternative to an emergency hospital admission. Inconsistencies in the evidence base and under-developed governance structures led to concerns about the care quality, outcomes and provision of intermediate care in the NHS. The National Audit of Intermediate Care was therefore established by an interdisciplinary group. The second national audit reported in 2013 and included crisis response teams, home-based and bed-based services in approximately a half of the NHS. The main findings were evidence of weak local strategic planning, considerable under-provision, delays in accessing the services and lack of mental health involvement in care. There was a very high level of positive patient experience reported across all types of intermediate care, though reported involvement with care decisions was less satisfactory.

The impact of the organization of high-dependency care on acute hospital mortality and patient flow for critically ill patients.

RATIONALE: Little is known about the utility of provision of high-dependency care (HDC) that is in a geographically separate location from a primary intensive care unit (ICU). OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the availability of HDC in a geographically separate unit affects patient flow or mortality for critically ill patients. METHODS: Admissions to ICUs in the United Kingdom, from 2009 to 2011, who received Level 3 intensive care in the first 24 hours after admission and subsequently Level 2 HDC. We compared differences in patient flow and outcomes for patients treated in hospitals providing some HDC in a geographically separate unit (dual HDC) with patients treated in hospitals providing all HDC in the same unit as intensive care (integrated HDC) using multilevel mixed effects models. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In 192 adult general ICUs, 21.4% provided dual HDC. Acute hospital mortality was no different for patients cared for in ICUs with dual HDC versus those with integrated HDC (adjusted odds ratio, 0.94 [0.86-1.03]; P = 0.16). Dual HDC was associated with a decreased likelihood of a delayed discharge from the primary unit. However, total duration of critical care and the likelihood of discharge from the primary unit at night were increased with dual HDC. CONCLUSIONS: Availability of HDC in a geographically separate unit does not impact acute hospital mortality. The potential benefit of decreasing delays in discharge should be weighed against the increased total duration of critical care and greater likelihood of a transfer out of the primary unit at night.