[Characteristics of non-pharmacological interventions in the elderly with COPD. Smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation, nutritional management and patient education]. / Particularités de la prise en charge non médicamenteuse de la BPCO chez les sujets âgés. Réhabilitation, sevrage tabagique, nutrition et éducation thérapeutique.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disorder responsible for a high mortality and disability. People older than 65 years are more commonly affected than younger people and tend to present with more symptoms and a greater level of disability. Non-pharmacological interventions play an important role in the management of all patients with COPD and this is particularly true in the elderly. Given the improvement in quality of life and risk of hospitalization, smoking cessation should be promoted to patients of all ages. Increased physical activity is associated with reduced respiratory symptoms. Tests such as the "Short Physical Performance Battery" can be useful in frailer older people with COPD, while walking tests such as the 6-minute walk test are used as an assessment before pulmonary rehabilitation. Increased physical activity should be combined with nutritional management. Screening for undernutrition by questionnaire, body mass index and albumin quantification is recommended in the elderly. In case of undernutrition, oral supplementation seems to reduce the risk of re-admission. All these measures must be included in an education program adapted to the elderly comorbidities (hearing loss, isolation…).

COPD: Health Care Utilisation Patterns with Different Disease Management Interventions.

PURPOSE: The management of COPD is a significant and costly issue worldwide, with acute healthcare utilisation consisting of admissions and outpatient attendances being a major contributor to the cost. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and integrated disease management (IDM) are often offered. Whilst there is strong evidence of physical and quality of life outcomes following IDM and PR, few studies have looked into healthcare utilisation. The aims of this study were to confirm whether IDM and PR reduce acute healthcare utilisation and to identify factors which contribute to acute health care utilisation or increased mortality. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with COPD who were referred to IDM over a 10-year period. Patients were also offered an 8-week PR program. Data collected were matched with the hospital dataset to obtain information on inpatient, ED and outpatient attendances. RESULTS: 517 patients were enrolled to IDM. 315 (61%) also commenced PR and 220 (43%) completed PR. Patients who were referred to PR were younger and had less comorbidities (p < 0.001). Both groups (IDM only and IDM + PR referred) had reductions in healthcare utilisation but the IDM-only group had greater reductions. A survival benefit (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50-0.92) was seen in those who were PR completers compared to patients who received IDM only. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD who successfully complete PR in addition to participating in IDM have improved survival. IDM alone was effective in the reduction of healthcare utilisation; however, the addition of PR did not reduce healthcare usage further.

Impact of Stewardship on Inhaled Nitric Oxide Utilization in a Neonatal ICU.

OBJECTIVES: Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) remains the "gold standard" therapy for hypoxemic respiratory failure in newborns. Despite good quality evidence to guide iNO use in this population, we observed considerable practice variation, particularly in timing and rate of weaning. To promote evidence-based practice, we launched an iNO stewardship program in April 2013. Our objective was to determine whether iNO stewardship led to changes in iNO utilization and weaning. METHODS: We conducted a quality improvement project in an outborn quaternary NICU, targeting improved iNO guideline compliance. We compared patterns of iNO utilization between 2 cohorts: prestewardship (April 2011-March 2013; retrospective data collection) and poststewardship (April 2013-March 2015; prospective data collection). RESULTS: Eighty-seven neonates received 88 courses of iNO in the 2 years prestewardship, and 64 neonates received 64 courses of iNO in the 2 years poststewardship. There were no significant differences (P > .05) in patient demographics, in the proportion of patients receiving iNO "off-label," in proportion initiated at the referring hospital, or in outcomes (death or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). There were significant (P < .05) reductions in median total hours on iNO per patient (47 vs 20; P < .001), in iNO hours per patient from maximum dose to initial wean (28 vs 9; P < .01), and in hours from initial wean to discontinuation (14 vs 8; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of iNO stewardship was associated with improved adherence to evidence-based guidelines and an overall reduction in total and per-patient iNO use.

Adherence to treatment in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis: a cross-sectional, multi-method study investigating the influence of beliefs about treatment and parental depressive symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to treatment is often reported to be low in children with cystic fibrosis. Adherence in cystic fibrosis is an important research area and more research is needed to better understand family barriers to adherence in order for clinicians to provide appropriate intervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate adherence to enzyme supplements, vitamins and chest physiotherapy in children with cystic fibrosis and to determine if any modifiable risk factors are associated with adherence. METHODS: A sample of 100 children (≤18 years) with cystic fibrosis (44 male; median [range] 10.1 [0.2-18.6] years) and their parents were recruited to the study from the Northern Ireland Paediatric Cystic Fibrosis Centre. Adherence to enzyme supplements, vitamins and chest physiotherapy was assessed using a multi-method approach including; Medication Adherence Report Scale, pharmacy prescription refill data and general practitioner prescription issue data. Beliefs about treatments were assessed using refined versions of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire-specific. Parental depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. RESULTS: Using the multi-method approach 72% of children were classified as low-adherers to enzyme supplements, 59% low-adherers to vitamins and 49% low-adherers to chest physiotherapy. Variations in adherence were observed between measurement methods, treatments and respondents. Parental necessity beliefs and child age were significant independent predictors of child adherence to enzyme supplements and chest physiotherapy, but parental depressive symptoms were not found to be predictive of adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Child age and parental beliefs about treatments should be taken into account by clinicians when addressing adherence at routine clinic appointments. Low adherence is more likely to occur in older children, whereas, better adherence to cystic fibrosis therapies is more likely in children whose parents strongly believe the treatments are necessary. The necessity of treatments should be reinforced regularly to both parents and children.

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs in Canada: national survey.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs in terms of their type, size, duration, patient population, content and staffing. DESIGN: Surveys were sent to members of the Rehabilitation Committee of the Canadian Thoracic Society, as well as any program identified by members of the Canadian Physiotherapy Cardio-Respiratory Society, by provincial lung associations or by the respondents. PARTICIPANTS: Of 51 surveys sent, responses were received from 44 facilities (86% response rate). In-patient or out-patient pulmonary rehabilitation programs were offered by 36 facilities. RESULTS: Most programs (97%) admitted out-patients, and 22% had an in-patient capability. Out-patient programs enrolled 13 patients (median 11; range five to 48) at a given time for a duration of 8.3 weeks (range two to 26). In-patient programs enrolled nine patients at a given time (range two to 26) for 4.6 weeks (range one to eight). Programs included patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (100%), restrictive disease (93%), asthma (82%), adults with cystic fibrosis (46%), patients pre- or postlung transplantation (45%) and patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support (18%). Breathing retraining, education and upper extremity training were incorporated in more than 90% of all programs. Only one-third of programs offered smoking cessation as part of the rehabilitation. Education sessions on medications and inhaler usage were included in most programs, but sexuality was addressed in only half the programs. CONCLUSIONS: This first comprehensive national survey of PR programs in Canada shows that there are similarities in the format, content and staffing of PR programs. Programs are only able to service a small percentage of patients with chronic respiratory conditions.