Delirium and quality of life in critically ill patients: a prospective cohort study. / Delirium e qualidade de vida em pacientes críticos: um estudo de coorte prospectivo.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between the incidence of delirium in the intensive care unit and quality of life 1 month after hospital discharge. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study conducted in the intensive care units of two medium-complexity hospitals from December 2015 to December 2016. Delirium was identified using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit scale. At the time of hospital discharge, functional capacity and cognition were assessed with the Barthel index and the Mini Mental State Examination, respectively. Thirty days after patient discharge, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF questionnaire was administered by telephone. RESULTS: A total of 216 patients were included. Delirium was identified in 127 (58.8%) of them. Patients with delirium exhibited greater functional dependence (median Barthel index 50.0 [21.2 - 70.0] versus 80.0 [60.0 - 95.0]; p < 0.001) and lower cognition (Mini Mental State Examination score 12.9 ± 7.5 versus 20.7 ± 9.8; p < 0.001) at hospital discharge. There was no difference in any of the quality-of-life domains evaluated 1 month after hospital discharge between patients with and without delirium. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that patients with delirium in the intensive care unit do not have worse quality of life 1 month after hospital discharge, despite presenting greater cognitive impairment and functional disability at the time of hospital discharge.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a associação entre a incidência de delirium na unidade de terapia intensiva e qualidade de vida 1 mês após a alta hospitalar. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de estudo de coorte prospectivo desenvolvido em unidades de terapia intensiva de dois hospitais de média complexidade durante o período de dezembro de 2015 a dezembro de 2016. Delirium foi identificado por meio da escala Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit. No momento da alta hospitalar, foram avaliadas capacidade funcional e cognição por meio do índice de Barthel e da escala de Mini Exame do Estado Mental, respectivamente. Após 30 dias da alta hospitalar do paciente, por meio de contato telefônico, aplicou-se o questionário World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 216 pacientes. Delirium foi identificado em 127 (58,8%) deles. Os pacientes com delirium apresentaram maior dependência funcional (mediana do índice de Barthel 50,0 [21,2 - 70,0] versus 80,0 [60,0 - 95,0]; p < 0,001) e menor cognição (escore do Mini Exame do Estado Mental 12,9 ± 7,5 versus 20,7 ± 9,8; p < 0,001) na alta hospitalar. Com relação à qualidade de vida, avaliada 1 mês após alta hospitalar, não houve diferença, em nenhum dos domínios, entre os pacientes com e sem delirium. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos achados sugerem que os pacientes com delirium na unidade de terapia intensiva não apresentam piora da qualidade de vida 1 mês após a alta hospitalar, apesar de apresentarem maior prejuízo cognitivo e incapacidade funcional no momento da alta hospitalar.

Pressure-support ventilation or T-piece spontaneous breathing trials for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the best strategy for weaning patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from mechanical ventilation. Spontaneous breathing trials (SBT) using a T-piece or pressure-support ventilation (PSV) have a central role in this process. Our aim was to compare T-piece and PSV SBTs according to the duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) in patients with COPD. METHODS: Patients with COPD who had at least 48 hours of invasive MV support were randomized to 30 minutes of T-piece or PSV at 10 cm H2O after being considered able to undergo a SBT. All patients were preemptively connected to non-invasive ventilation after extubation. Tracheostomized patients were excluded. The primary outcome was total invasive MV duration. Time to liberation from MV was assessed as secondary outcome. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2016, 190 patients were randomized to T-piece (99) or PSV (91) groups. Extubation at first SBT was achieved in 78% of patients. The mean total MV duration was 10.82 ± 9.1 days for the T-piece group and 7.31 ± 4.9 days for the PSV group (p < 0.001); however, the pre-SBT duration also differed (7.35 ± 3.9 and 5.84 ± 3.3, respectively; p = 0.002). The time to liberation was 8.36 ± 11.04 days for the T-piece group and 4.06 ± 4.94 for the PSV group (univariate mean ratio = 2.06 [1.29-3.27], p = 0.003) for the subgroup of patients with difficult or prolonged weaning. The study group was independently associated with the time to liberation in this subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: The SBT technique did not influence MV duration for patients with COPD. For the difficult/prolonged weaning subgroup, the T-piece may be associated with a longer time to liberation, although this should be clarified by further studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01464567, at November 3, 2011.