Non-invasive pressure support ventilation in severe community-acquired pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore three aspects of non-invasive pressure support ventilation (NIPSV) applied by face mask to patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) due to severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP): (1) the initial acute effects on respiratory rate, gas exchange and hemodynamics, (2) the clinical course and outcome during ICU and hospital stay, (3) the nursing workload as measured by the daily PRN 87 (Project Research in Nursing) score. SETTING: Medical ICU, University Hospital. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. PATIENTS: Patients without any prior history of chronic lung disease, consecutively admitted to the ICU to receive NIPSV for ARF due to severe CAP. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: (means +/- SD): Twenty-four patients aged 49+/-17 years, admission APACHE II 13+/-5, were included. Admission PaO2/FIO2, alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (DA-aO2) and PaCO2 were 104+/-48, 447+/-120 and 40+/-10 mmHg, respectively. All patients were normotensive. During the initial NIPSV trial respiratory rate decreased from 34+/-8 to 28+/-10 breaths/min (p < 0.001) and arterial oxygenation improved (PaO2/FIO2 104+/-48 vs 153+/-49, DA-aO2 447+/-120 vs 370+/-180 mmHg, p < 0.001) while PaCO2 remained unchanged. There were no hemodynamic effects. Subsequently, a total of 133 NIPSV trials were performed (median duration 55 min, range 30-540 min) over 1-7 days. No complication occurred during NIPSV. Sixteen patients were intubated (66%) 1.3+/-1 days after inclusion. Upon inclusion, the patients who were subsequently intubated were older (55+/-15 vs 37+/-12 years) and more severely hypoxemic (63+/-11 vs 80+/-15 mmHg, p < 0.05) than those not requiring intubation. Eight patients died (33 %), all in the intubated group. Median lengths of stay in the ICU and hospital were longer in intubated patients (ICU 16 days, range 3-64 vs 6 days, range 3-7, p < 0.05; hospital 23 days, range 9-77 vs 9.5 days, range 4-42, p < 0.05). Mean daily total PRN points were stable throughout the NIPSV period and were not different between the groups. Only 14% of PRN points resulted from respiratory therapy interventions. PRN score was higher during the first 24 h following intubation than during the first 24 h of NIPSV (278+/-55 vs 228+/-24 points, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite initial improvement in arterial oxygenation with NIPSV in patients with ARF due to severe CAP, the intubation rate is high. However, the more favorable outcome and shorter ICU and hospital stays when intubation is avoided, as well as the short delay required to assess the success or failure of NIPSV warrants a trial of NIPSV in this setting. The nursing workload remains stable during NIPSV and does not result predominantly from respiratory therapy interventions.

Percutaneous versus surgical tracheostomy: a double-blind randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical (SgT) and percutaneous (PcT) tracheostomies. BACKGROUND: Percutaneous tracheostomy has been said to provide numerous advantages over classical SgT. METHODS: A prospective randomized trial with a double-blind evaluation was used to compare SgT and PcT. SgT and PcT were performed according to established techniques (n = 70). The procedure was performed at the bedside in the intensive care unit in 21 cases (30%). The outcome measures were divided into procedure-related variables, perioperative complications, and postoperative complications. The procedure-related variables (location, duration, and difficulty) were evaluated by the surgeon. The perioperative and postoperative complications were divided into serious, intermediate, and minor. Perioperative and early postoperative (14 days) complications were evaluated daily by an intensive care unit nurse blinded to the technique used. Long-term postoperative complications were evaluated 3 months after decannulation by a surgeon blinded to the surgical technique. RESULTS: There were no major complications in either group. Most variables studied were not statistically different between the PcT and SgT groups. The only variables to reach statistical significance were the size of the incision (smaller with PcT, p < 0.0001), minor perioperative complications (greater with PcT, p = 0.02), and difficult cannula changes (greater with PcT; p < 0.05). Among nonsignificant differences, difficult procedures and false passages were more frequent with PcT, whereas long-term unesthetic scars were more frequent with SgT. CONCLUSIONS: Both techniques are associated with a low rate of serious or intermediate complications when performed by experienced surgeons. There were more minor perioperative complications with PcT and more minor long term complications with SgT.

Concealed homicidal strangulation by burning.

Compression of the neck, either with the hands or by a ligature, is not an uncommon method of homicide. Burning of the body to try to conceal the homicide may complicate the situation by making it difficult to interpret the findings. We hereby report two cases of homicidal ligature strangulation with extensive burning of the bodies. In both cases, external findings included the presence of a soft piece of fabric around the neck that, when removed, disclosed a portion of pale, unburned skin that vividly contrasted with surrounding areas. Osteocartilaginous lesions were present in only one case. Carboxyhemoglobin levels in both cases were very low, and the histopathologic examination of distal airways for soot particles was negative.

Transcutaneous PCO2 to monitor noninvasive mechanical ventilation in adults: assessment of a new transcutaneous PCO2 device.

UNLABELLED: The present study was designed to analyze the usability of a commercially available, transcutaneous PCO2 (TcPCO2) sensor for monitoring noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV). Twenty-six hemodynamically stable patients with intra-arterial radial catheters were assessed. After stabilization of TcPCO2, arterial blood was analyzed and results were compared with TcPCO2 at time of sampling. To evaluate the drift of the signal, samples were taken hourly in five patients for 4 h while continuously recording TcPCO2. Finally, to assess for the response of the sensor to changes in PaCO2, six patients underwent continuous TcPCO2 recording while initiating or interrupting NPPV; arterial samples were analyzed before the event, and 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 20 min afterwards. RESULTS: TcPCO2 and PaCO2 were tested over a range of 26 to 71 mm Hg, and were found to be closely correlated (r=0.968, p<0.0001); mean bias was 0.75 mm Hg. There was no significant drift of TcPCO2 as compared with PaCO2 over 4 h. The time of response of TcPCO2 to initiation or interruption of NPPV was <60 s. An estimation of the lag time averaged 5+/-3 min (range, 1 to 9 min). CONCLUSION: TcPCO2 in hemodynamically stable adults was in excellent agreement with arterial measurements. The time of response to a change in ventilation was compatible with the aim of clinical monitoring of patients under NPPV.

[Noninvasive ventilation in intensive care]. / Ventilation non-invasive aux soins intensifs.

Non-invasive ventilation has been in use for many years to provide long-term home ventilatory support to patients with chronic respiratory failure. In recent years, it has emerged on the intensive care scene as a means of avoiding intubation in acute respiratory failure. The results of several studies indicate that such an approach can lead to a reduction in mortality and duration of hospital stay compared to conventional mechanical ventilation with endotracheal intubation. The purpose of this article is to explore the various ventilatory techniques available, the choice of respirator and ventilatory mode in various clinical conditions, and to discuss some of the logistics involved in the optimal use of this technique.

Nasal positive pressure ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure. Difficult and time-consuming procedure for nurses.

Intubation and mechanical ventilation are well-established techniques in the management of patients with acute respiratory failure; however, there are situations in which these procedures cannot be used safely for various reasons. A recently described noninvasive technique, nasal positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV), has been developed for home ventilation of certain patients with chronic ventilatory insufficiency. We hypothesized that NPPV could be used in selected patients in whom intubation and mechanical ventilation were clearly indicated, but not immediately possible, or even contraindicated. Six patients were treated with NPPV during an episode of acute respiratory failure and enrolled in a prospective study. We found that NPPV was successful in avoiding intubation, but only in the three patients suffering from a restrictive pulmonary disorder, whereas the procedure was unsuccessful in patients with obstructive disorders. Moreover, in every patient, acute NPPV was very time-consuming for the nursing staff: in patients with restrictive disorders, a nurse had to monitor a patient submitted to NPPV during 41 +/- 9 percent of the duration of ventilation and during 91 +/- 9 percent of the NPPV time in patients with obstructive disorders. We conclude that acute NPPV may be attempted in selected patients with acute respiratory failure, predominantly patients with restrictive respiratory disorders, but that this procedure is very time-consuming for nurses.