Effect of Active Physiotherapy With Positive Airway Pressure on Pulmonary Atelectasis After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVES: The authors investigated the effect of active work with positive airway pressure (PAP) in addition to chest physiotherapy (CP) on pulmonary atelectasis (PA) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: A randomized controlled study. SETTING: At a single-center tertiary hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting, valve surgery, or both), and presenting with PA after tracheal extubation on postoperative days 1 or 2, were randomized from November 2014 to September 2016. INTERVENTION: Three days of CP, twice daily, associated with active work with PAP effect (intervention group) versus CP alone (control group). Pulmonary atelectasis was assessed by using the radiologic atelectasis score (RAS) measured from daily chest x-rays. All radiographs were reviewed blindly. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among included patients, 79 (99%) completed the trial. The primary outcome was mean RAS on day 2 after inclusion. It was significantly lower in the intervention group (mean difference and 95% CI: -1.1 [-1.6 to -0.6], p < 0.001). The secondary outcomes were the sniff nasal inspiratory pressure measured before and after CP and clinical variables. Sniff nasal inspiratory pressure was significantly higher in the intervention group on day 2 (7.7 [3.0-12.5] cmH2O, p = 0.002). The respiratory rate was lower in the intervention group (-3.2 [95% CI -4.8 to -1.6] breaths/min, p < 0.001) on day 2. No differences were found between the 2 groups for percutaneous oxygen saturation/oxygen requirement ratio, heart rate, pain, and dyspnea scores. CONCLUSIONS: Active work with the PAP effect, combined with CP, significantly decreased the RAS of patients undergoing cardiac surgery after 2 days of CP, with no differences observed in clinically relevant parameters.

Incidence and risk factors of anastomotic complications after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic complications are common after lung transplantation (1.4-33% of cases) and still associated with a high morbi-mortality. METHODS: The current study is a monocenter retrospective analysis of symptomatic anastomotic complications (SAC) occurring after lung transplantation between 2010 and 2016, using the macroscopic, diameter, and suture (M-D-S) classification from consensus of French experts in bronchoscopy. The objectives were to determine incidence from surgery, risk factors, and impact of survival of SAC. We defined SAC as M-D-S abnormalities (stenosis ⩾ 50% or dehiscence) requiring bronchoscopic or surgical interventions. RESULTS: A total of 121 patients were included. SAC occurred in 26.5% of patients (n = 32), divided in symptomatic stenosis for 23.7% (n = 29), and symptomatic dehiscence in 2.5% (n = 3). In multivariate analysis, donor bacterial lung infection [HR 2.08 (1.04-4.17), p = 0.04] and age above 50 years [HR 3.26 (1.04-10.26), p = 0.04] were associated with SAC occurrence. Cystic fibrosis etiology was associated with better survival on Kaplan-Meier curve (p < 0.001). SAC [HR 2.15 (1.07-4.32), p = 0.03] was independently associated with worst survival. The 29 symptomatic patients because of stenosis required endoscopic procedure, of whom 16 patients needed bronchial stent placement. Four patients underwent surgery: three patients because of dehiscence and one because of severe bilateral stenosis (re-transplantation). DISCUSSION: SAC occurred in 26.5% of patients. Donor lung infection was the only alterable identified factors. The increase rate of SAC in older patients above 50 years of age encourages in regular endoscopic monitoring.

Impact of early nutrition route in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Early nutrition management in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) remains controversial. Despite its potentially beneficial effect, enteral nutrition (EN) could be associated with gastrointestinal (GI) complications. Total daily energy requirements remain difficult to achieve with ECMO support. Analysis of nutrition practices could improve nutrition management of this particular population. METHODS: A monocentric retrospective study of patients requiring ECMO in a cardiac surgery intensive care unit (ICU) between 2010 and 2014 with follow-up ≥6 days. Nutrition support was monitored daily until ECMO weaning. We compared patients exposed (EN group, n = 49) and unexposed (No EN group (NEN), n = 63) with EN, as well as the energy and protein intakes within 4 days after initiation of ECMO. Vital status and nosocomial infections were followed up until ICU discharge. Primary outcome was the incidence of GI intolerance and risk-factor identification. Secondary outcomes included impact of nutrition inadequacy and clinical outcome. RESULTS: A total 112 patients were analyzed, representing 969 nutrition days. Median ratio of energy and protein prescribed/required daily was 81% (58-113) and 56% (36-86), respectively. GI intolerance was experienced by 53% (26 of 49) of patients in the EN group and was only associated with ECMO duration (odds ratio, 1.14: 95% CI, 1.00-1.31; P = .05). Low-energy and protein days were not associated with clinical outcomes such as nosocomial infections. CONCLUSION: EN is associated with almost 50% GI intolerance without clinical benefit for patients receiving ECMO. Adequacy in energy and protein amounts did not affect clinical outcome.

High-Flow Therapy by Nasal Cannulae Versus High-Flow Face Mask in Severe Hypoxemia After Cardiac Surgery: A Single-Center Randomized Controlled Study-The HEART FLOW Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether high-flow oxygen therapy by nasal cannulae (HFNC) is more effective than a high-flow face mask (HFFM) in severe hypoxemia. DESIGN: Randomized, single-center, open-labeled, controlled trial. SETTING: University Hospital of Nantes, France. PARTICIPANTS: Cardiac surgery patients presenting oxygen saturation <96% with Venturi mask 50%. INTERVENTION: Oxygenation by HFNC (45 L/min, FIO2 100%) or Hudson RCI non-rebreather face mask with a reservoir bag (15 L/min). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The co-primary outcomes were the PaO2/FIO2 ratio at 1 and 24 hours. In the intent-to-treat analysis (90 patients), the mean (standard deviation) PaO2/FIO2 ratios were: after 1 hour, 113.4 (50.2) in HFFM versus 137.8 (57.0) in HFNC (mean difference 24.4, CI 97.5% [2.9-45.9], p = 0.03), and after 24 hours, 106.9 (62.6) in HFFM versus 129.9 (54.0) in HFNC (mean difference 23.0, CI 97.5% [1.5-44.6], p = 0.04). After adjustment on baseline PaO2/FIO2, this difference persisted at 24 hours (p = 0.04). For secondary outcomes, the PaO2/FIO2 ratio after 6 hours was 108.7 (47.9) in HFFM versus 136.0 (45.2) in HFNC (p = 0.01), without difference after 48 hours (p = 0.95). Refractory hypoxemia requiring noninvasive ventilation occurred in 13 (28%) patients in HFNC versus 24 (56%) patients in HFFM (p = 0.007). The HFNC improved satisfaction (p = 0.0002) and reduced mucus dryness (p = 0.003) compared with HFFM. CONCLUSION: In patients with severe hypoxemia after cardiac surgery, PaO2/FIO2 at 1 and 24 hours were higher and the use of noninvasive ventilation was reduced in HFNC compared with HFFM.