Race and Ethnicity in Pulmonary Function Test Interpretation: An Official American Thoracic Society Statement.

Current American Thoracic Society (ATS) standards promote the use of race and ethnicity-specific reference equations for pulmonary function test (PFT) interpretation. There is rising concern that the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation contributes to a false view of fixed differences between races and may mask the effects of differential exposures. This use of race and ethnicity may contribute to health disparities by norming differences in pulmonary function. In the United States and globally, race serves as a social construct that is based on appearance and reflects social values, structures, and practices. Classification of people into racial and ethnic groups differs geographically and temporally. These considerations challenge the notion that racial and ethnic categories have biological meaning and question the use of race in PFT interpretation. The ATS convened a diverse group of clinicians and investigators for a workshop in 2021 to evaluate the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation. Review of evidence published since then that challenges current practice and continued discussion concluded with a recommendation to replace race and ethnicity-specific equations with race-neutral average reference equations, which must be accompanied with a broader re-evaluation of how PFTs are used to make clinical, employment, and insurance decisions. There was also a call to engage key stakeholders not represented in this workshop and a statement of caution regarding the uncertain effects and potential harms of this change. Other recommendations include continued research and education to understand the impact of the change, to improve the evidence for the use of PFTs in general, and to identify modifiable risk factors for reduced pulmonary function.

Plasma Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity-2 Associates with Ventilator Liberation in Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure.

Rationale: Standard physiologic assessments of extubation readiness in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) may not reflect lung injury resolution and could adversely affect clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Objectives: We hypothesized that elevations in inflammatory plasma biomarkers sST2 (soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2) and IL-6 indicate ongoing lung injury in AHRF and better inform patient outcomes compared with standard clinical assessments. Methods: We measured daily plasma biomarkers and physiologic variables in 200 patients with AHRF for up to 9 days after intubation. We tested the associations of baseline values with the primary outcome of unassisted breathing at Day 29. We analyzed the ability of serial biomarker measurements to inform successful ventilator liberation. Measurements and Main Results: Baseline sST2 concentrations were higher in patients dead or mechanically ventilated versus breathing unassisted at Day 29 (491.7 ng/ml [interquartile range (IQR), 294.5-670.1 ng/ml] vs. 314.4 ng/ml [IQR, 127.5-550.1 ng/ml]; P = 0.0003). Higher sST2 concentrations over time were associated with a decreased probability of ventilator liberation (hazard ratio, 0.80 per log-unit increase; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-0.83; P = 0.03). Patients with higher sST2 concentrations on the day of liberation were more likely to fail liberation compared with patients who remained successfully liberated (320.9 ng/ml [IQR, 181.1- 495.6 ng/ml] vs. 161.6 ng/ml [IQR, 95.8-292.5 ng/ml]; P = 0.002). Elevated sST2 concentrations on the day of liberation decreased the odds of successful liberation when adjusted for standard physiologic parameters (odds ratio, 0.325; 95% CI, 0.119-0.885; P = 0.03). IL-6 concentrations did not associate with outcomes. Conclusions: Using sST2 concentrations to guide ventilator management may more accurately reflect underlying lung injury and outperform traditional measures of readiness for ventilator liberation.

High-flow oxygen therapy and other inhaled therapies in intensive care units.

In this Series paper, we review the current evidence for the use of high-flow oxygen therapy, inhaled gases, and aerosols in the care of critically ill patients. The available evidence supports the use of high-flow nasal cannulae for selected patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. Heliox might prevent intubation or improve gas flow in mechanically ventilated patients with severe asthma. Additionally, it might improve the delivery of aerosolised bronchodilators in obstructive lung disease in general. Inhaled nitric oxide might improve outcomes in a subset of patients with postoperative pulmonary hypertension who had cardiac surgery; however, it has not been shown to provide long-term benefit in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Inhaled prostacyclins, similar to inhaled nitric oxide, are not recommended for routine use in patients with ARDS, but can be used to improve oxygenation in patients who are not adequately stabilised with traditional therapies. Aerosolised bronchodilators are useful in mechanically ventilated patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but are not recommended for those with ARDS. Use of aerosolised antibiotics for ventilator-associated pneumonia and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis shows promise, but the delivered dose can be highly variable if proper attention is not paid to the delivery method.

Plasma Concentrations of Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity-2 and Interleukin-6 Are Predictive of Successful Liberation From Mechanical Ventilation in Patients With the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 and interleukin-6 concentrations have been associated with the inflammatory cascade of acute respiratory distress syndrome. We determined whether soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 and interleukin-6 levels can be used as prognostic biomarkers to guide weaning from mechanical ventilation and predict the need for reintubation. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: We assayed plasma soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (n = 826) concentrations and interleukin-6 (n = 755) concentrations in the Fluid and Catheter Treatment Trial, a multicenter randomized controlled trial of conservative fluid management in acute respiratory distress syndrome. We tested whether soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 and interleukin-6 levels were associated with duration of mechanical ventilation, the probability of passing a weaning assessment, and the need for reintubation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In models adjusted for Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score and other relevant variables, patients with higher day 0 and day 3 median soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 and interleukin-6 concentrations had decreased probability of extubation over time (day 0 soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2: hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.72-1.00; p = 0.05; day 0 interleukin-6: hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.54-0.75; p < 0.0001; day 3 soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2: hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.54-0.75; p < 0.0001; and day 3 interleukin-6: hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.85; p = 0.0001). Higher biomarker concentrations were also predictive of decreased odds of passing day 3 weaning assessments (soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2: odds ratio, 0.62: 95% CI, 0.44-0.87; p = 0.006 and interleukin-6: odds ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.43-0.85; p = 0.004) and decreased odds of passing a spontaneous breathing trial (soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2: odds ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.28-0.71; p = 0.0007 and interleukin-6 univariate analysis only: odds ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.36-0.83; p = 0.005). Finally, higher biomarker levels were significant predictors of the need for reintubation for soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (odds ratio, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.04-10.07; p = 0.04) and for interleukin-6 (odds ratio, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.14-5.84; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Higher soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 and interleukin-6 concentrations are each associated with worse outcomes during weaning of mechanical ventilation and increased need for reintubation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Biomarker-directed ventilator management may lead to improved outcomes in weaning of mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Intensive Care Unit Rotations and Predictors of Career Choice in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine: A Survey of Internal Medicine Residency Directors.

BACKGROUND: The United States (US) is experiencing a growing shortage of critical care medicine (CCM) trained physicians. Little is known about the exposures to CCM experienced by internal medicine (IM) residents or factors that may influence their decision to pursue a career in pulmonary/critical care medicine (PCCM). METHODS: We conducted a survey of US IM residency program directors (PDs) and then used multivariable logistic regression to identify factors that were predictive of residency programs with a higher percentage of graduates pursuing careers in PCCM. RESULTS: Of the 249 PDs contacted, 107 (43%) completed our survey. University-sponsored programs more commonly had large ICUs (62.3% versus 42.2%, p=0.05), primary medical ICUs (63.9% versus 41.3%, p=0.03), and closed staffing models (88.5% versus 41.3%, p < 0.001). Residents from university-sponsored programs were more likely to pursue specialty fellowship training (p < 0.001) overall but equally likely to pursue careers in PCCM as those from community-sponsored programs. Factors predictive of residencies with a higher percentage of graduates pursuing training in PCCM included larger ICUs (>20 beds), residents serving as code leaders, and greater proportion of graduates pursuing specialization. CONCLUSIONS: While numerous differences exist between the ICU rotations at community- and university-sponsored IM residencies, the percentage of graduates specializing in PCCM was similar. Exposure to larger ICUs, serving as code leaders, and higher rates of specialization were predictive of a career choice in PCCM.