Nurse and Social Worker Palliative Telecare Team and Quality of Life in Patients With COPD, Heart Failure, or Interstitial Lung Disease: The ADAPT Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), and interstitial lung disease (ILD) endure poor quality of life despite conventional therapy. Palliative care approaches may benefit this population prior to end of life. Objective: Determine the effect of a nurse and social worker palliative telecare team on quality of life in outpatients with COPD, HF, or ILD compared with usual care. Design, Setting, and Participants: Single-blind, 2-group, multisite randomized clinical trial with accrual between October 27, 2016, and April 2, 2020, in 2 Veterans Administration health care systems (Colorado and Washington), and including community-based outpatient clinics. Outpatients with COPD, HF, or ILD at high risk of hospitalization or death who reported poor quality of life participated. Intervention: The intervention involved 6 phone calls with a nurse to help with symptom management and 6 phone calls with a social worker to provide psychosocial care. The nurse and social worker met weekly with a study primary care and palliative care physician and as needed, a pulmonologist, and cardiologist. Usual care included an educational handout developed for the study that outlined self-care for COPD, ILD, or HF. Patients in both groups received care at the discretion of their clinicians, which could include care from nurses and social workers, and specialists in cardiology, pulmonology, palliative care, and mental health. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was difference in change in quality of life from baseline to 6 months between the intervention and usual care groups (FACT-G score range, 0-100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life, clinically meaningful change ≥4 points). Secondary quality-of-life outcomes at 6 months included disease-specific health status (Clinical COPD Questionnaire; Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-12), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) symptoms. Results: Among 306 randomized patients (mean [SD] age, 68.9 [7.7] years; 276 male [90.2%], 30 female [9.8%]; 245 White [80.1%]), 177 (57.8%) had COPD, 67 (21.9%) HF, 49 (16%) both COPD and HF, and 13 (4.2%) ILD. Baseline FACT-G scores were similar (intervention, 52.9; usual care, 52.7). FACT-G completion was 76% (intervention, 117 of 154; usual care, 116 of 152) at 6 months for both groups. Mean (SD) length of intervention was 115.1 (33.4) days and included a mean of 10.4 (3.3) intervention calls per patient. In the intervention group, 112 of 154 (73%) patients received the intervention as randomized. At 6 months, mean FACT-G score improved 6.0 points in the intervention group and 1.4 points in the usual care group (difference, 4.6 points [95% CI, 1.8-7.4]; P = .001; standardized mean difference, 0.41). The intervention also improved COPD health status (standardized mean difference, 0.44; P = .04), HF health status (standardized mean difference, 0.41; P = .01), depression (standardized mean difference, -0.50; P < .001), and anxiety (standardized mean difference, -0.51; P < .001) at 6 months. Conclusions and Relevance: For adults with COPD, HF, or ILD who were at high risk of death and had poor quality of life, a nurse and social worker palliative telecare team produced clinically meaningful improvements in quality of life at 6 months compared with usual care. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02713347.

Improving adherence to PAP therapy: A brief PAP coaching intervention for health care providers.

Objectives: To evaluate a training program for non-specialist health care providers in a brief coaching intervention to improve positive airway pressure (PAP) usage in Veterans with sleep apnea. Methods: We conducted a national webinar training designed for non-specialist providers to implement a brief telephone coaching intervention to improve PAP adherence. The curriculum was crafted by experts in sleep medicine and behavioral sleep medicine based on principles of PAP desensitization. Providers who participated in this training were asked to complete evaluations at 30 days and 1 year. Results: Provider surveys indicated that most respondents had incorporated the intervention into their clinical practice and felt comfortable counseling patients about sleep apnea and adherence to PAP. Provider feedback suggested that future training programs should include refresher trainings, more training on PAP equipment specifics, and facilitated collaboration with local sleep medicine staff. Conclusions: This pilot training program demonstrated that a webinar format was a feasible method to increase training in PAP adherence among non-specialist health care providers. Innovation: Non-specialists can be trained as PAP coaches in webinar format, improving patients' access to effective strategies and support to be successful with PAP therapy.

Utilizing the RE-AIM framework for a multispecialty Veterans Affairs Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (VA-ECHO) program 2018-2022.

VA-ECHO (Veterans Affairs -Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) provides live, synchronous, continuing education accredited, case-based learning. Sessions deliver up-to-date, evidence-based, practice-relevant, Veteran-focused learning to healthcare team members. The primary goal of VA-ECHO is to increase Veterans' access to high quality care by improving knowledge and skills among VA care providers. Utilizing the RE-AIM framework, descriptive statistics for 23 VA-ECHO programs regarding program effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance during a five-year period (2018-2022) are reported. VA-ECHO offered 1,462 sessions and 157,238 contact hours, engaging 17,642 participants from 837 VA-based sites (20% rural-based sites). Effectiveness includes information on number and diversity of programs, as well as reported impact on participants' practice. Adoption includes descriptive statistics, including comparison of growth and change compared to prior years. Implementation describes change in the program over time, including the number of specialties offered, and types of continuing education offered. Maintenance includes a narrative regarding sustainability. The discussion focuses on implementation and maintenance strategies the program has used to address participant and VA needs within the RE-AIM framework, including adjustments to the program, iterative qualitative improvement, sustainment strategies, and opportunities for future evaluation.

Impact of mail-based continuous positive airway pressure initiation on treatment usage and effectiveness.

PURPOSE: In-person visits with a trained therapist have been standard care for patients initiating continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). These visits provide an opportunity for hands-on training and an in-person assessment of mask fit. However, to improve access, many health systems are shifting to remote CPAP initiation with equipment mailed to patients. While there are potential benefits of a mailed approach, relative patient outcomes are unclear. Specifically, many have concerns that a lack of in-person training may contribute to reduced CPAP adherence. To inform this knowledge gap, we aimed to compare treatment usage after in-person or mailed CPAP initiation. METHODS: Our medical center shifted from in-person to mailed CPAP dispensation in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. We assembled a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who initiated CPAP in the months before (n = 433) and after (n = 186) this shift. We compared 90-day adherence between groups. RESULTS: Mean nightly PAP usage was modest in both groups (in-person 145.2, mailed 140.6 min/night). We did not detect between-group differences in either unadjusted or adjusted analyses (adjusted difference - 0.2 min/night, 95% - 27.0 to + 26.5). CONCLUSIONS: Mail-based systems of CPAP initiation may be able to improve access without reducing CPAP usage. Future work should consider the impact of mailed CPAP on patient-reported outcomes and the impact of different remote setup strategies.

Rest-Activity Rhythm Fragmentation and Weaker Circadian Strength Are Associated With Cognitive Impairment in Survivors of Acute Respiratory Failure.

Background: Survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) experience long-term cognitive impairment and circadian rhythm disturbance after hospital discharge. Although prior studies in aging and neurodegenerative diseases indicate actigraphy-estimated rest-activity circadian rhythm disturbances are risk factors for cognitive impairment, it is unclear if this applies to ARF survivors. This study explored the relationships of actigraphy-estimated rest-activity circadian rhythms with cognitive functioning in ARF survivors at 3 months after discharge. Methods: 13 ARF survivors (mean age 51 years and 69% males) completed actigraphy and sleep diaries for 9 days, followed by at-home neuropsychological assessment. Principal component factor analysis created global cognition and circadian rhythm variables, and these first components were used to examine the global relationships between circadian rhythm and cognitive measure scores. Results: Global circadian function was associated with global cognition function in ARF survivors (r = .70, p = .024) after adjusting for age, education, and premorbid cognition. Also, greater fragmented rest-activity circadian rhythm (estimated by intradaily variability, r = .85, p = .002), and weaker circadian strength (estimated by amplitude, r = .66, p = .039; relative strength, r = .70, p = .024; 24-h lag serial autocorrelation, r = .67, p = .035), were associated with global cognition and individual cognitive tests. Conclusions: These results suggest circadian rhythm disturbance is associated with poorer global cognition in ARF survivors. Future prospective research with larger samples is needed to confirm these results and increase understanding of the relationship between disrupted circadian rhythms and cognitive impairment among ARF survivors.

A Retrospective Pilot Study of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy Enhanced with Narrative Therapy Principles for the Treatment of Nightmares in US Military Veterans.

Introduction Chronic nightmares are a common and disabling feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for which broadly effective treatments are still lacking. While imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) demonstrates benefits for patients with idiopathic nightmares and some patients with PTSD-related nightmares, research indicates it may be less beneficial for veterans. Narrative therapy (NT) is a form of psychotherapy which is client-centered and value-focused and has demonstrated benefits for PTSD patients. The application of NT principles to IRT may provide a valuable therapeutic approach for treatment in veterans. Objective To perform a retrospective chart review of veteran clients participating in a novel, brief intervention developed by the first author consisting of IRT enhanced with NT principles (N-IRT) for the treatment of nightmares. The primary outcomes were nightmare frequency and intensity, and the secondary outcome was the impact of the intervention on nightmare distress and coping, subjective sleep quality, and overall PTSD symptoms. Materials and Methods We conducted retrospective chart reviews for eight veterans referred to the first author for the treatment of nightmares, who completed N-IRT, including baseline and end-of-treatment measures. The protocol involved a single 60-minute NT-enhanced rescripting session and assigned homework to rehearse the revised dream script, and a follow-up evaluation 4 weeks later. The subjects completed a sleep and nightmare interview developed by the first author and the PTSD Checklist at baseline and after the intervention at the follow-up evaluation. Paired t -tests were conducted to test for pre-to-post differences. Results In the statistical analysis, we observed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the frequency ( p = 0.04) and intensity of nightmares ( p = 0.001) from pretreatment to the 1-month follow-up. Measures of nightmare-associated emotional distress, the ability to cope with nightmares, sleep duration and sleep efficiency, as well as overall PTSD symptoms also demonstrated significant improvements. Conclusion These pilot data provide compelling preliminary evidence that a single-session IRT intervention modified with NT (N-IRT) is effective in reducing nightmare frequency and intensity, reducing nightmare distress, improving the act of coping with nightmares, and improving sleep quality and overall PTSD symptoms in veterans. Further investigation of this method with gold-standard clinical trial designs and larger sample sizes is indicated to confirm effectiveness and to better understand the possible mechanisms of treatment effect.

Racial Disparity in Oxygen Saturation Measurements by Pulse Oximetry: Evidence and Implications.

The pulse oximeter is a ubiquitous clinical tool used to estimate blood oxygen concentrations. However, decreased accuracy of pulse oximetry in patients with dark skin tones has been demonstrated since as early as 1985. Most commonly, pulse oximeters may overestimate the true oxygen saturation in individuals with dark skin tones, leading to higher rates of occult hypoxemia (i.e., clinically unrecognized low blood oxygen saturation). Overestimation of oxygen saturation in patients with dark skin tones has serious clinical implications, as these patients may receive insufficiently rigorous medical care when pulse oximeter measurements suggest that their oxygen saturation is higher than the true value. Recent studies have linked pulse oximeter inaccuracy to worse clinical outcomes, suggesting that pulse oximeter inaccuracy contributes to known racial health disparities. The magnitude of device inaccuracy varies by pulse oximeter manufacturer, sensor type, and arterial oxygen saturation. The underlying reasons for decreased pulse oximeter accuracy for individuals with dark skin tones may be related to failure to control for increased absorption of red light by melanin during device development and insufficient inclusion of individuals with dark skin tones during device calibration. Inadequate regulatory standards for device approval may also play a role in decreased accuracy. Awareness of potential pulse oximeter limitations is an important step for providers and may encourage the consideration of additional clinical information for management decisions. Ultimately, stricter regulatory requirements for oximeter approval and increased manufacturer transparency regarding device performance are required to mitigate this racial bias.

Participant Characteristics and Attendance Patterns for a Multispecialty Veterans Affairs ECHO Program 2012-2018.

Introduction: The Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) 20 Veterans Affairs-Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (VA-ECHO) program connects specialty and primary care providers (PCPs) across large geographic areas, utilizing video-teleconferencing with the intention of increasing access to care among underserved and isolated populations. No previously published work describes participation patterns of a multispecialty ECHO program. We describe the development of VISN 20 VA-ECHO program to inform the design and evaluation of ECHO programs. Methods: The participant cohort included VA-affiliated licensed health care professionals, including trainees, who attended at least one VISN 20 VA-ECHO session between April 2012 and December 2018. Participant characteristics reported include gender, clinical location, clinical specialty, discipline, and rurality. Results: Over the 6-year time frame, VISN 20 VA-ECHO offered 945 sessions in 14 clinical specialties and recorded 17,893 hours of attendance. The cohort included 1,346 participants, 74.3% of whom were female, 85.2% employed in medical centers, and 40.7% affiliated with primary care. Most participants (62.3%) attended one specialty exclusively; among all participants, 40% attended five or more sessions. Discussion: Although VA-ECHO was implemented to develop single specialty expertise among PCPs, our participant cohort represented a more diverse audience from a range of disciplines and specialties. Our experience may be valuable to other teams implementing ECHO programs. Conclusions: Through adaptability and strategies that actively promoted inclusion of a diverse audience, VISN 20 VA-ECHO expanded to include multiple clinical specialties and successfully engaged an audience across a large geographic area and beyond PCPs.

Impact of Sleep Telementorship in Primary Care: Sleep VA-ECHO (Veterans Affairs-Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes).

Sleep VA-ECHO (Veterans Affairs-Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a national telementorship program intended to improve knowledge about sleep disorders among non-specialty providers. The project goal was to describe the characteristics of Sleep VA-ECHO participants from primary care and their use of program-obtained knowledge in practice. Sleep VA-ECHO consisted of 10 voluntary, 75-min teleconference sessions combining didactics and case discussion. Out of 86 participants, 21 self-identified as primary care team members and completed a program evaluation. Participants self-reported their application of knowledge gained, including changes to practice as a result of program participation. These 21 participants represented 18 sites in 11 states and attended a median of 5.0 sessions. They included physicians (29%), nurse practitioners (24%), and registered nurses (24%). Nearly all participants (95%) reported using acquired knowledge to care for their own patients at least once a month; 67% shared knowledge with colleagues at least once a month. Eighty-five percent reported improved quality of sleep care for their patients, and 76% reported an expanded clinical skillset. The greatest self-reported change in practice occurred in patient education about sleep disorders (95%) and non-pharmacologic management of insomnia (81%).

Patient experiences with telehealth in sleep medicine: a qualitative evaluation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The field of sleep medicine has been an avid adopter of telehealth, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this study was to assess patients' experiences receiving sleep care by telehealth. METHODS: From June 2019 to May 2020, the authors recruited a sample of patients for semi-structured interviews, including patients who had 1 of 3 types of telehealth encounters in sleep medicine: in-clinic video, home-based video, and telephone. Two analysts coded transcripts using content analysis and identified themes that cut across patients and categories. RESULTS: The authors conducted interviews with 35 patients and identified 5 themes. (1) Improved access to care: Patients appreciated telehealth as providing access to sleep care in a timely and convenient manner. (2) Security and privacy: Patients described how home-based telehealth afforded them greater feelings of safety and security due to avoidance of anxiety-provoking triggers (eg, crowds). Patients also noted a potential loss of privacy with telehealth. (3) Personalization of care: Patients described experiences with telehealth care that either improved or hindered their ability to communicate their needs. (4) Patient empowerment: Patients described how telehealth empowered them to manage their sleep disorders. (5) Unmet needs: Patients recognized specific areas where telehealth did not meet their needs, including the need for tangible services (eg, mask fitting). CONCLUSIONS: Patients expressed both positive and negative experiences, highlighting areas where telehealth can be further adapted. As telehealth in sleep medicine continues to evolve, the authors encourage providers to consider these aspects of the patient experience. CITATION: Donovan LM, Mog AC, Blanchard KN, et al. Patient experiences with telehealth in sleep medicine: a qualitative evaluation. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(8):1645-1651.

Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Survivors of Acute Respiratory Failure.

Background: Little is known about sleep and circadian rhythms in survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) after hospital discharge. Objectives: To examine sleep and rest-activity circadian rhythms in ARF survivors 3 months after hospital discharge, and to compare them with a community-dwelling population. Methods: Sleep diary, actigraphy data, and insomnia symptoms were collected in a pilot study of 14 ARF survivors. Rest-activity circadian rhythms were assessed with wrist actigraphy and sleep diary for 9 days, and were analyzed by cosinor and non-parametric circadian rhythm analysis. Results: All participants had remarkable actigraphic sleep fragmentation, 71.5% had subclinical or clinical insomnia symptoms. Compared to community-dwelling adults, this cohort had less stable rest-activity circadian rhythms (p < 0.001), and weaker circadian strength (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Insomnia and circadian disruption were common in ARF survivors. Sleep improvement and circadian rhythm regularity may be a promising approach to improve quality of life and daytime function after ARF.

Agreement of sleep specialists with registered nurses' sleep study orders in supervised clinical practice.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Incorporating registered nurses (RN-level) into obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) management decisions has the potential to augment the workforce and improve patient access, but the appropriateness of such task-shifting in typical practice is unclear. METHODS: Our medical center piloted a nurse triage program for sleep medicine referrals. Using a sleep specialist-designed decision-making tool, nurses triaged patients referred for initial sleep studies to either home sleep apnea test (HSAT) or in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG). During the first 5 months of the program, specialists reviewed all nurse triages. We compared agreement between specialists and nurses. RESULTS: Of 280 consultations triaged by nurses, nurses deferred management decisions to sleep specialists in 6.1% (n = 17) of cases. Of the remaining 263 cases, there was 88% agreement between nurses and specialists (kappa 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.74-0.87). In the 8.8% (n = 23) of cases where supervising specialists changed sleep study type, specialists changed from HSAT to PSG in 16 cases and from PSG to HSAT in 7. The most common indication for change in sleep study type was disagreement regarding OSA pretest probability (n = 14 of 23). Specialists changed test instructions in 3.0% (n = 8) of cases, with changes either related to the use of transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring (n = 4) or adaptive servo-ventilation (n = 4). CONCLUSIONS: More than 80% of sleep study triages by registered nurses in a supervised setting required no sleep specialist intervention. Future research should focus on how to integrate nurses into the sleep medicine workforce in a manner that maximizes efficiency while preserving or improving patient outcomes.

Practical implementation of noninvasive ventilation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: lessons learned from a clinical case series.

PURPOSE: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) may improve survival and quality of life in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. There is a surprising paucity of practical guidelines for office-based implementation and management of NIV outside of tertiary ALS centers. We saw the need for a clinical protocol to allow feasible and consistent NIV management in this patient population. METHODS: We created a clinical protocol for office-based initiation of NIV implemented on consecutive ALS patients referred from our regional ALS multidisciplinary clinic. The protocol provided initial empiric settings using a bilevel device in volume-assured pressure support mode. A respiratory therapist (RT) initiated NIV in an office setting and made adjustments according to patient tolerance and therapy targets outlined in the protocol. Later setting changes were performed at patient or provider request. We evaluated patient adherence and efficacy via device download at 30 days and 1 year. RESULTS: We present data from a case series of the first 14 consecutive patients initiated on NIV over a 20-month period. Our protocol underwent iterative modification based on clinical experience and patient feedback. Early challenges included the significant time and resource burden required to coordinate device downloads and patient follow-up. Early 30-day NIV adherence was variable (median 20 out of 30 days), while 1-year NIV adherence was excellent (median 27.5 out of 30 days). CONCLUSIONS: Our RT-driven clinical NIV protocol was feasible but labor intensive. Achieving real-world adherence of NIV in our ALS patients required iterative protocol adjustment, significant RT provider time, and tele-based follow-up.

Advancing Symptom Alleviation with Palliative Treatment (ADAPT) trial to improve quality of life: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: People living with chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial lung disease (ILD) suffer impaired quality of life due to burdensome symptoms and depression. The Advancing Symptom Alleviation with Palliative Treatment (ADAPT) trial aims to determine the effect of a multidisciplinary, team-based intervention on quality of life in people with these common diseases. METHODS/DESIGN: The ADAPT trial is a two-site, patient-level randomized clinical trial that examines the effectiveness of the ADAPT intervention compared to usual care on patient-reported quality of life at 6 months in veterans with CHF, COPD or ILD with poor quality of life and increased risk for hospitalization or death. The ADAPT intervention involves a multidisciplinary team-a registered nurse, social worker, palliative care specialist, and primary care provider (with access to a pulmonologist and cardiologist)-who meet weekly to make recommendations and write orders for consideration by participants' individual primary care providers. The nurse and social worker interact with participants over six visits to identify and manage a primary bothersome symptom and complete a structured psychosocial intervention and advance care planning. The primary outcome is change in patient-reported quality of life at 6 months as measured by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-General questionnaire. Secondary outcomes at 6 months include change in symptom distress, depression, anxiety, disease-specific quality of life hospitalizations, and advance care planning communication and documentation. Intervention implementation will be assessed using a mixed-methods approach including a qualitative assessment of participants' and intervention personnel experiences and a quantitative assessment of care delivery, resources, and cost. DISCUSSION: The ADAPT trial studies an innovative intervention designed to improve quality of life for veterans with common, burdensome illnesses by targeting key underlying factors-symptoms and depression-that impair quality of life but persist despite disease-specific therapies. Leveraging the skills of affiliate health providers with physician supervision will extend the reach of palliative care and improve quality of life for those with advanced disease within routine outpatient care. The hybrid effectiveness/implementation design of the ADAPT trial will shorten the time to broader dissemination if effective and create avenues for future research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02713347 . Registered March 19, 2016.

Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Related to Smoking Is Greater Among Women With Sleep-Disordered Breathing.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Although both sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and smoking are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the potential for an interactive effect on CVD risk has not been explored. Our objective was to determine if smoking-related risk for CVD rises with greater SDB severity. METHODS: Polysomnography and smoking history were obtained in 3,852 men and women in the Sleep Heart Health Study without baseline CVD. Fine-Gray proportional hazard models accounting for competing risk were used to calculate risk of incident CVD associated with SDB severity (defined by clinical cutoffs of the apnea-hypopnea index), smoking status (never, former, and current) and their interaction adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Over a mean (standard deviation) follow-up period of 10.3 (3.4) years, there were 694 incident CVD events. We found a significant three-way interaction of sex, current smoking, and moderate to severe SDB (P = .039) in the adjusted proportional hazards model. In adjusted analyses, women who were current smokers with moderate to severe SDB had a hazard ratio for incident CVD of 3.5 (95% confidence interval 1.6-8.0) relative to women who were nonsmokers without SDB. No such difference in CVD risk was observed in men or women of other strata of smoking and SDB. CONCLUSIONS: In women, smoking-related risk for CVD is significantly higher among individuals with moderate to severe SDB.

A Novel Treatment for Nasolacrimal Air Regurgitation Into the Eye With CPAP: The Total Face Mask.

ABSTRACT: We present a patient who experienced insufflation of air under the left eyelid when using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) via an oronasal mask. The patient had a lacrimal stent in place for many years, which was a predisposing factor for this complication. Lacrimal stents are frequently used in the treatment of epiphora (excessive tearing) secondary to obstruction of the lacrimal drainage system. In this case, we review the pathophysiology of air regurgitation into the eye with CPAP use and methods previously described to address this rare complication. We also present a novel intervention for this rare complication, the total face mask. By additionally covering the eyes, a total face mask allows equalization of pressure on both sides of the lacrimal system. With a total face mask, our patient was able to successfully use CPAP.

Validity of a single PTSD checklist item to screen for insomnia in survivors of critical illness.

BACKGROUND: There is no insomnia screening tool validated in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. OBJECTIVES: To examine the validity of a single item from the PTSD checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C) to detect insomnia by Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal investigation in 120 medical-surgical ICU survivors. At 1 year post-ICU, patients completed ISI, PCL-C, and Medical Short-Form 12 (SF-12) by telephone. A single PCL-C item rates difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep over the past month. We compared performance characteristics of this PCL-C item to ISI-defined insomnia (ISI ≥15). RESULTS: A score of ≥3 on the PCL-C sleep item exhibited 91% sensitivity and 67% specificity for ISI-defined insomnia (ISI ≥ 15), and it demonstrated construct validity by correlation to related QOL indices. CONCLUSIONS: A single PCL-C sleep item score ≥ 3 is a reasonable screen to identify insomnia symptoms in ICU survivors.

Sleep Disturbance in Smokers with Preserved Pulmonary Function and with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

RATIONALE: Sleep disturbance frequently affects patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and is associated with reduced quality of life and poorer outcomes. Data indicate that smokers with preserved pulmonary function have clinical symptoms similar to those meeting spirometric criteria for COPD, but little is known about the driving factors for sleep disturbance in this population of emerging interest. OBJECTIVES: To compare the magnitude and correlates of sleep disturbance between smokers with preserved pulmonary function and those with airflow obstruction. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data from the COPD Outcomes-Based Network for Clinical Effectiveness and Research Translation multicenter registry, we identified participants clinically identified as having COPD with a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years and either preserved pulmonary function or airflow obstruction. We quantified sleep disturbance by T-score measured in the sleep disturbance domain of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System questionnaire, and defined a minimum important difference as a T-score difference of two points. We performed univariate and multivariable linear regression to evaluate correlates within each group. RESULTS: We identified 100 smokers with preserved pulmonary function and 476 with airflow obstruction. The sleep disturbance T-score was 4.1 points greater among individuals with preserved pulmonary function (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-6.3). In adjusted analyses, depression symptom T-score was associated with sleep disturbance in both groups (airflow obstruction: ß, 0.61 points; 95% CI, 0.27-0.94; preserved pulmonary function: ß, 0.25 points; 95% CI, 0.12-0.38). Of note, lower percent predicted FEV1 was associated with greater sleep disturbance among those with preserved pulmonary function (ß, -0.19 points; 95% CI, -0.31 to -0.07), whereas higher FEV1 was associated with greater sleep disturbance among individuals with airflow obstruction (ß, 0.06 points; 95% CI, 0.01-0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Among smokers with clinically identified COPD, the severity of sleep disturbance is greater among those with preserved pulmonary function compared with those with airflow obstruction. Nonrespiratory symptoms, such as depression, were associated with sleep disturbance in both groups, whereas the relationship of sleep disturbance with FEV1 differed.