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Sleep in ventilatory failure in restrictive thoracic disorders. Effects of treatment with non invasive ventilation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Hypercapnic ventilatory failure due to restrictive disorders may have a negative impact on sleep architecture. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) may improve arterial blood gases but may adversely affect sleep. We assessed sleep structure and blood gases before and during NIV in patients with restrictive disorders in hypercapnic ventilatory failure.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING: Sleep laboratory of Saint-Luc University Hospital (Belgium).

PATIENTS: Chart review of all patients with predominantly restrictive disorders and respiratory failure seen between 1987 and 2008 and evaluated with a baseline polysomnography (PSG) and a PSG under NIV.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Sixty patients aged (mean±SD) 48±20years, with total lung capacity of 57±20% of predicted value, PaO(2) of 62±16mm Hg and PaCO(2) 54±10mm Hg, were included. At baseline, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, slow wave and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep were markedly decreased. Conversely, micro-arousals and stage I sleep (N1) were increased. NIV administered with volume-cycled (53%) or pressure-cycled (47%) ventilators improved daytime PaO(2), PaCO(2), pH and HCO(3)(-). In addition, sleep efficiency, REM sleep, mean and lowest nocturnal SpO(2) increased while stage 1, sleep fragmentation, and oxygen desaturation index decreased significantly.

CONCLUSION: Hypercapnic ventilatory failure in restrictive disorders profoundly affects sleep quality. NIV can improve not only blood gases, but also sleep architecture.

Severe bronchiolitis. Changes in epidemiology and respiratory support.

Bronchiolitis generates lots of admissions during the cold months in the paediatric intensive care units (PICU). New forms of respiratory support are being used and could improve the care of these patients.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the epidemiological and respiratory support changes of children admitted to the PICU.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: An observational, retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of patients with the diagnosis of bronchiolitis admitted to the PICU of a tertiary hospital during the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic months between 2005 and 2010.

RESULTS: A total of 229 patients were admitted, of whom 83% were infected with RSV. The mean age was 1.48 months, with children under 3 months being the greatest number of admissions (73.3%). December was the month with the highest number of admissions (52%). Mortality was 0.9%. The mean time of stay in the PICU and on respiratory assistance were 4 and 3days, respectively (no significant differences between the periods studied). Patients with RSV bronchiolitis were younger than the negative RSV (mean 2.61 months and 4.05 months, P=.023). Active respiratory support was required in 73% of cases. The percentage of patients who required active respiratory support increased over the years (Z=3.81, P=.00014), especially high flow nasal oxygen therapy (Z=3.62, P=.00028). An inverse relationship was observed between patient age and length of stay in PICU (Beta=-0.245, P≤.0001) and days on respiratory support (Beta=-0.167, P=.039).

CONCLUSIONS: Most patients admitted to the PICU are less than 3 months old. Mortality was 0.9%. Respiratory support (especially non-invasive mechanical ventilation and high flow nasal oxygen therapy) is used increasingly often. The youngest patients need more days in PICU and more respiratory support.

High-flow nasal oxygen for severe hypoxemia after cardiac surgery.

High-flow nasal oxygen (Optiflow™) is validated in paediatric intensive care but not in adults' patients for severe hypoxemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate this oxygen system delivery in adults' patients for postoperative hypoxemia after cardiac surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, open study for evaluation of medical practice.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients operated upon for cardiac surgery with immediate postoperative hypoxemia characterized by SpO(2) <0.96 with 50% oxygen with a Venturi mask were treated with the high-flow nasal oxygen system (O group) when it was available or with the classical high-flow oxygen face mask (M group). Gas exchanges were measured at the end of the surgery, at the beginning of the treatment and 1 hour, 6 hours after the inclusion and at day 1 and 2 post-treatment. Parameters studied were: duration of hypoxemia, duration of ICU stay, postoperative pneumonia occurrence, requirement of re-intubation, non invasive ventilation and catecholamine. Tolerance was evaluated with measurement of pain (visual scale), satisfaction (visual scale), and dryness of mouth.

RESULTS: Forty patients were included, 19 in group O, 21 in group M. Patient's characteristics did not differ between the two groups before treatment. There were no significant differences between groups for duration of hypoxemia (3.8±2.2 days in O group versus 4.3±2.3 days in M group), duration of hypoxemia, duration of ICU stay, postoperative pneumonia occurrence, requirement of re-intubation, non invasive ventilation and catecholamine. Pain was not significantly different between groups, satisfaction was better (P<0.001) and mouth drier (P<0.001) in group O than in group M.

CONCLUSION: These results give good arguments for an improvement in gas exchange and better tolerance of high-flow nasal oxygen (Optiflow™) versus classical high-flow oxygen face mask in postoperative cardiac patients. These results must be confirmed by a randomised study with a larger population.

Clinical Benefits of 7 Years of Treatment with Omalizumab in Severe Uncontrolled Asthmatics.

Severe asthma is characterized by inadequate symptom control and by high rate of inflammation despite high doses of steroids. Omalizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal anti-IgE, provides a new therapeutic strategy in severe allergic asthma.

Aims. This study was aimed to assess whether long-term treatment with omalizumab improved clinical control in severe asthmatics.

Methods. We investigated omalizumab effects on asthma outcomes evaluating seven severe allergic asthmatic patients who were treated for 7 years with add-on omalizumab. Number of exacerbations, use of antibiotics, additional asthma medications (systemic steroids, nebulized steroids and bronchodilators), and spirometry were analyzed before and after omalizumab treatment.

Results. Omalizumab was well tolerated by all the studied patients. It improved FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio and reduced symptom score, asthma exacerbations, use of antibiotics, and use of nebulized steroids, bronchodilators, and oral corticosteroids. These effects were evident after 4 years of treatment and more pronounced after 7 years of treatment.

Conclusions. This study underlines the utility of a long-term treatment with omalizumab to improve asthma clinical outcomes in severe asthmatics.

Asthma Severity in Patients Initiating Controller Monotherapy versus Combination Therapy.

Asthma treatment guidelines recommend medications based on the level of asthma control. Objective: To evaluate differences in asthma control between patients who initiated asthma controller monotherapy versus combination therapy.

Patients and methods: Children (5-16 years; n = 488) and adults (17-80 years; n = 530) with asthma and no controller therapy in the prior 6 months were included. Telephone surveys were conducted within 5 days of filling a new asthma controller prescription with either the caregiver of children or the adult patient. Demographics, asthma control before therapy, and asthma-related resource use were assessed for patients initiating monotherapy (filling one asthma controller prescription) and combination therapy (filling more than one controller medication or a fixed-dose combination).

Results: Mean pediatric age was 10 years; 53% were male. Mean adult age was 47 years; 25% were male. There were no significant differences in asthma control score between patients receiving monotherapy and combination therapy. Children on combination therapy did not have more nighttime awakening or short-acting β-agonist use but were more likely to have been hospitalized due to asthma attack (p = .05) and have more unscheduled (p = .0374) and scheduled (p = .009) physician visits. Adults on combination therapy were more likely to have been hospitalized due to asthma attack (p < .05) and have regular doctor visits for asthma (p < .01).

Conclusions: Assessment of asthma control scores in the 4 weeks before index medication suggests that asthma severity during a treatment-free period did not differ significantly for patients initiating controller monotherapy versus combination therapy. From these findings, it appears that although physicians may not focus on asthma control when choosing the intensity of initial controller therapy, the intensity of health-care encounters may be an influence.

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