Awake pronation with helmet continuous positive airway pressure for COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome patients outside the ICU: A case series.

OBJECTIVE: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an important therapeutic tool in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) since it improves oxygenation, reduces respiratory rate and can prevent intubation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. CPAP during pronation has seldom been described and never during sedation. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: High dependency unit of San Carlo University Hospital (Potenza, Italy). PATIENTS: Eleven consecutive patients with COVID-19 ARDS. INTERVENTION: Helmet CPAP in prone position after failing a CPAP trial in the supine position. MAIN VARIABLE OF INTEREST: Data collection at baseline and then after 24, 48 and 72h of pronation. We measured PaO2/FIO2, pH, lactate, PaCO2, SpO2, respiratory rate and the status of the patients at 28-day follow up. RESULTS: Patients were treated with helmet CPAP for a mean±SD of 7±2.7 days. Prone positioning was feasible in all patients, but in 7 of them dexmedetomidine improved comfort. PaO2/FIO2 improved from 107.5±20.8 before starting pronation to 244.4±106.2 after 72h (p<.001). We also observed a significantly increase in Sp02 from 90.6±2.3 to 96±3.1 (p<.001) and a decrease in respiratory rate from 27.6±4.3 to 20.1±4.7 (p=.004). No difference was observed in PaCO2 or pH. At 28 days two patients died after ICU admission, one was discharged in the main ward after ICU admission and eight were discharged home after being successfully managed outside the ICU. CONCLUSIONS: Helmet CPAP during pronation was feasible and safe in COVID-19 ARDS managed outside the ICU and sedation with dexmedetomidine safely improved comfort. We recorded an increase in PaO2/FIO2, SpO2 and a reduction in respiratory rate.

Awake pronation with helmet continuous positive airway pressure for COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome patients outside the ICU: A case series / Pronación en la planta en pacientes despiertos conectados a ventilación mecánica no invasiva y casco, con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda secundaria a COVID-19: una serie de casos

Objective: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an important therapeutic tool in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) since it improves oxygenation, reduces respiratory rate and can prevent intubation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. CPAP during pronation has seldom been described and never during sedation.DesignCase series.SettingHigh dependency unit of San Carlo University Hospital (Potenza, Italy).PatientsEleven consecutive patients with COVID-19 ARDS.InterventionHelmet CPAP in prone position after failing a CPAP trial in the supine position.Main variable of interestData collection at baseline and then after 24, 48 and 72h of pronation. We measured PaO2/FIO2, pH, lactate, PaCO2, SpO2, respiratory rate and the status of the patients at 28-day follow up.ResultsPatients were treated with helmet CPAP for a mean±SD of 7±2.7 days. Prone positioning was feasible in all patients, but in 7 of them dexmedetomidine improved comfort. PaO2/FIO2 improved from 107.5±20.8 before starting pronation to 244.4±106.2 after 72h (p<.001). We also observed a significantly increase in Sp02 from 90.6±2.3 to 96±3.1 (p<.001) and a decrease in respiratory rate from 27.6±4.3 to 20.1±4.7 (p=.004). No difference was observed in PaCO2 or pH. At 28 days two patients died after ICU admission, one was discharged in the main ward after ICU admission and eight were discharged home after being successfully managed outside the ICU.Conclusions: Helmet CPAP during pronation was feasible and safe in COVID-19 ARDS managed outside the ICU and sedation with dexmedetomidine safely improved comfort. We recorded an increase in PaO2/FIO2, SpO2 and a reduction in respiratory rate (AU)

Objetivo: La ventilación con presión positiva continua (CPAP) es una opción terapéutica útil en pacientes con síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda (SDRA) secundaria a infección por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) porque mejora la oxigenación, disminuye la frecuencia respiratoria y puede prevenir la intubación orotraqueal y así la admisión en la unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI). El uso de la CPAP en pronación se ha descrito raramente, y nunca en pacientes con sedación superficial.DiseñoSerie de casos.ÁmbitoUnidad de cuidados intensivos del Hospital San Carlo (Potenza, Italia).PacientesOnce casos consecutivos de pacientes con SDRA secundario a infección por COVID-19.IntervencionesCasco y CPAP y en posición de prono, después de fracasar una sesión de una hora de CPAP en posición supina.Variables de interés principalesDatos clínicos registrados antes de iniciar la primera sesión de 12h de pronación y a las 24, 48 y 72h. Los datos registrados fueron PaO2/FiO2, pH, lactatos, PaCO2, SpO2, frecuencia respiratoria y visita de seguimiento a los 28días.ResultadosTodos los pacientes fueron tratados con CPAP y casco durante una media ±DE de 7±2,7. La posición de prono se realizó con éxito en los 11 pacientes, pero 7 pacientes recibieron dexmetodomidina para mejorar el confort.El valor de PaO2/FiO2 mejoró desde 107,5±20,8 antes de la pronación hasta 244,4±106,2 después de 72h (p<0,001). Se observó un aumento significativo de la SpO2 desde un basal de 90,6±2,3 hasta 96±3,1 a las 72h (p<0,001) y una reducción de la frecuencia respiratoria desde 27,6±4,3 hasta 20,1±4,7 (p=0,004). No se observaron diferencias en los valores de PaCO2 o de pH. A los 28días dos pacientes habían fallecido, uno permanecía todavía ingresado en la planta después de la dimisión de la UCI y ocho fueron remitidos al domicilio después de ser tratados en la planta sin necesidad de ingreso en la UCI.Conclusio: nesLa CPAP con casco durante la posición de prono fue segura y eficaz

Awake pronation with helmet continuous positive airway pressure for COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome patients outside the ICU: A case series.

OBJECTIVE: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an important therapeutic tool in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) since it improves oxygenation, reduces respiratory rate and can prevent intubation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. CPAP during pronation has seldom been described and never during sedation. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: High dependency unit of San Carlo University Hospital (Potenza, Italy). PATIENTS: Eleven consecutive patients with COVID-19 ARDS. INTERVENTION: Helmet CPAP in prone position after failing a CPAP trial in the supine position. MAIN VARIABLE OF INTEREST: Data collection at baseline and then after 24, 48 and 72h of pronation. We measured PaO2/FIO2, pH, lactate, PaCO2, SpO2, respiratory rate and the status of the patients at 28-day follow up. RESULTS: Patients were treated with helmet CPAP for a mean±SD of 7±2.7 days. Prone positioning was feasible in all patients, but in 7 of them dexmedetomidine improved comfort. PaO2/FIO2 improved from 107.5±20.8 before starting pronation to 244.4±106.2 after 72h (p<.001). We also observed a significantly increase in Sp02 from 90.6±2.3 to 96±3.1 (p<.001) and a decrease in respiratory rate from 27.6±4.3 to 20.1±4.7 (p=.004). No difference was observed in PaCO2 or pH. At 28 days two patients died after ICU admission, one was discharged in the main ward after ICU admission and eight were discharged home after being successfully managed outside the ICU. CONCLUSIONS: Helmet CPAP during pronation was feasible and safe in COVID-19 ARDS managed outside the ICU and sedation with dexmedetomidine safely improved comfort. We recorded an increase in PaO2/FIO2, SpO2 and a reduction in respiratory rate.

The Fragility Index in peri-operative randomised trials that reported significant mortality effects in adults.

More than one million peri-operative patients die each year. Thus, small improvements in peri-operative care may save thousands of lives. However, clinicians need confidence in the robustness of trial findings. The Fragility Index may complement frequentist analysis and provide quantitative assessment of robustness. We searched MEDLINE for peri-operative critical care randomised controlled trials that reported a statistically significant difference in mortality. We identified 46 trials with 37,347 participants. The median (IQR [range]) Fragility Index was 2 (1-3 [0-49]). Eleven trials had a Fragility Index of zero (changing from the Chi-square test to Fisher's exact test removed significance) and seven trials had a Fragility Index of 1. Only 23/46 trials had a Fragility Index greater than the number of patients lost to follow-up. There was a strong positive correlation between the Fragility Index and: the number of participants, R2  = 0.97, p < 0.0001; the number of centres that recruited participants, R2  = 0.96, p < 0.0001; the number of nations that recruited participants, R2  = 0.93, p < 0.0001; and the number of deaths, R2  = 0.97, p < 0.0001. As measured by the Fragility Index, the effect of peri-operative interventions on mortality in individual randomised controlled trials are not robust.

Investigating the importance of the local food environment for fruit and vegetable intake in older men and women in 20 UK towns: a cross-sectional analysis of two national cohorts using novel methods.

BACKGROUND: Local neighbourhood environments can influence dietary behavior. There is limited evidence focused on older people who are likely to have greater dependence on local areas and may suffer functional limitations that amplify any neighbourhood impact. METHODS: Using multi-level ordinal regression analysis we investigated the association between multiple dimensions of neighbourhood food environments (captured by fine-detail, foot-based environmental audits and secondary data) and self-reported frequency of fruit and vegetable intake. The study was a cross-sectional analysis nested within two nationally representative cohorts in the UK: the British Regional Heart Study and the British Women's Heart and Health Study. Main exposures of interest were density of food retail outlets selling fruits and vegetables, the density of fast food outlets and a novel measure of diversity of the food retail environment. RESULTS: A total of 1124 men and 883 women, aged 69 - 92 years, living in 20 British towns were included in the analysis. There was strong evidence of an association between area income deprivation and fruit and vegetable consumption, with study members in the most deprived areas estimated to have 27% (95% CI: 7, 42) lower odds of being in a higher fruit and vegetable consumption category relative to those in the least deprived areas. We found no consistent evidence for an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and a range of other food environment domains, including density of shops selling fruits and vegetables, density of premises selling fast food, the area food retail diversity, area walkability, transport accessibility, or the local food marketing environment. For example, individuals living in areas with greatest fruit and vegetable outlet density had 2% (95% CI: -22, 21) lower odds of being in a higher fruit and vegetable consumption category relative to those in areas with no shops. CONCLUSIONS: Although small effect sizes in environment-diet relationships cannot be discounted, this study suggests that older people are less influenced by physical characteristics of neighbourhood food environments than is suggested in the literature. The association between area income deprivation and diet may be capturing an important social aspect of neighbourhoods that influence food intake in older adults and warrants further research.

[Captopril and hydrochlorothiazide combined in the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypertension. Evaluation of sugar and lipid metabolism in a long-term study]. / Captopril e idroclorotiazide associati nel trattamento della ipertensione lieve-moderata. Valutazione del metabolismo glucidico e lipidico in uno studio a lungo termine.

Ten hypertensive patients (I-IIWHO) were treated for a period of three months with captopril 50 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg once or twice daily, with the aim of evaluating the antihypertensive effectiveness of this association and the lack of influences on lipid and mainly glucose metabolism. Blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated every month, while chemical tests were performed at the beginning and at the end of the trial. Besides before and after treatment were studied blood glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test, at times 0, 15', 30', 60', 90', 120', 180'. Our data show that captopril combined with hydrochlorothiazide has a good antihypertensive action, and doesn't alter lipid and glucose metabolism either after oral glucose tolerance test.

[Problems in the treatment of the hypertensive diabetic patient]. / Problemi di trattamento del paziente iperteso diabetico.

Hypertension is much more common among diabetics than non-diabetics and particular care must be taken in treating both chronic pathologies. It is in fact vital to consider the effect antihypertensive drugs may have on diabetes and its complications. Hence the choice of anti-hypertensive drug for a patient with diabetes mellitus must be preceded by a careful study of the metabolic effects of that drug. An attempt is made to assess the interference by antihypertensive agents with glucose metabolism and to identify an appropriate treatment protocol for the patient with both arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

[Hypertension therapy in the elderly. Our experience with converting enzyme inhibitors]. / La terapia dell'ipertensione nell'anziano. Esperienza con gli inibitori dell'enzima di conversione.

Arterial hypertension shows, in the elderly, particular features and special problems connected with its pharmacological treatment. In our work ten patients, aged between 65-75, suffering from essential hypertension, were examined for eight weeks. At the end of this period, we observed a significant reduction of systolic and diastolic pressure, heart rate being unchanged. We didn't observe any significant change in the metabolic parameters considered (uricemia, creatininemia, triglycerides and cholesterol). No patient had to interrupt the treatment as a consequence of side effects. According to our data, we can affirm that Captopril reduces arterial pressure gradually and doesn't cause orthostatic hypotension, being thus very useful in the elderly.