Comparison of invasive intubation and noninvasive mechanical ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The concurrence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is defined as overlap syndrome (OS), but investigations into predictors of OS in patients with COPD remain limited. Here, potential markers of OS in patients with COPD were investigated, and results of intubation were compared between patients with COPD only or OS. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with COPD who were divided according to OS diagnosis: COPD only (COPD group) or OS (OS group). RESULTS: Among 206 patients with COPD, 120 were diagnosed with OS. Mean body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in the OS versus COPD group (28.95 ± 2.96 versus 23.84 ± 4.06, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that BMI was associated with OS (area under the curve, 0.835). The rate of invasive intubation within 48 h was lower in the OS versus COPD group (9.2% versus 20.9%, respectively), and the duration of noninvasive ventilation was longer in the OS versus COPD group. CONCLUSIONS: BMI may be a predictor of OS in patients with COPD. The duration of noninvasive ventilation was longer in patients with OS than in patients with COPD alone.