Polysomnographic differences associated with pulmonary hypertension in patients with advanced lung disease due to cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) commonly occurs in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), but there is no current data regarding alterations of sleep in patients with PH. METHODS: A single-center, retrospective review was performed in patients with advanced lung disease due to CF who completed both nocturnal polysomnography and right heart catheterization (RHC) from January 2010 to June 2013. For statistical analysis, two-tailed unpaired t tests and Pearson correlation coefficient analysis were performed after normal distribution was confirmed. RESULTS: A total of 18 consecutive CF patients were enrolled with RHC identifying PH in 56 % (10/18) of patients. The PH group had significantly lower mean sleep efficiency (72 ± 4 vs. 87 ± 3 %, p = 0.01), significantly higher ETCO(2) levels (54.5 ± 2.2 vs. 43.8 ± 3.0 mmHg, p = 0.01) on capnography, and significantly lower PO(2) (53.8 ± 3.1 vs. 65.5 ± 3.9 mmHg, p = 0.03) on capillary blood gas. Correlations with poor sleep efficiency included mean PAP (r = - 0.55, p = 0.01), systolic PAP (r = -0.5, p = 0.03), ETCO(2) (r = - 0.53, p = 0.02), and PO(2)) (r = 0.62, p = 0.01); ETCO(2) with systolic PAP (r = 0.47, p = 0.04) and PCO(2) (r = - 0.57, p = 0.01); and PO(2) to 6-min walk distance (r = 0.55, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: We found significant differences in sleep efficiency and gas exchange associated with PH in CF patients with advanced lung disease.

Quality Improvement Initiative for Assessing Allografts after Lung Transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: The histologic evaluation of lung allografts after transbronchial biopsy (TBBx) is a key component of the clinical care of lung transplant recipients. With established guidelines on diagnosing allograft rejection, no specific recommendations exist on timeliness to reaching a diagnosis and initiating therapy. A quality improvement initiative focused on 3 key stages of achieving a prompt diagnosis of acute cellular rejection including tissue processing, interpretation, and notification to the treating transplant pulmonologist was initiated to minimize time to treatment onset. METHODS: We completed a single-center cohort study on all surveillance and clinically indicated TBBx from September 2006 to March 2018. The rapid tissue processing, interpretation, and notification system was instituted in March 2011 with data before this date serving as baseline. RESULTS: We enrolled 28 patients who underwent 210 TBBx (1 excluded due to unknown notification date). Thirty-eight TBBx were included at baseline before implementation of the rapid tissue processing and communication system; 171 were included after implementation. Median time to notification following the change was 0 days (interquartile range, 0-1) compared with 1 day (interquartile range, 1-1) before the change (P < 0.001). After the change, same-day notification increased, with 110 (64%) TBBx resulting in same-day notification compared with 0 before (P < 0.001). We initiated treatment of acute cellular rejection on the day of diagnosis for the entire cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This quality improvement initiative resulted in more efficient analysis of TBBx of allografts in lung transplant recipients and faster communication of results to the clinical team.

Lung Transplant Index: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Limited long-term survival is a recognized problem in adolescent/young adult lung transplant recipients. A quality improvement (QI) initiative included the development of a Lung Transplant Index (LTI) composed of key elements that we used as a comprehensive approach to screen and identify potential harms in this at-risk patient population. METHODS: A single-center, uncontrolled QI study was completed from January 2014 to February 2019. The elements of the LTI are events that should have occurred within the most recent 12 months. If an element did not occur, it was counted as a missed element of preventing harm and summated later serving as the LTI score. Implementation of the LTI occurred on January 1, 2015, with a retrospective chart review of patients seen in clinic the prior year serving as baseline measures for comparison. RESULTS: The year before implementing the LTI, numerous opportunities failed to identify preventable harm in our adolescent/young adult lung transplant population. The LTI resulted in a sustained reduction of these missed opportunities without negatively influencing patient/family satisfaction with lengthening of the clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS: A single-center QI initiative identified preventable harms in an adolescent/young adult lung transplant population and reduced the number of preventable harm elements not performed. Future work is needed to determine if this type of QI initiative is associated with less healthcare utilization.