Various oxygenization methods are used in the treatment of respiratory failure in acute heart failure. Occasionally, after patients are stabilized by these ventilation methods, some maintain a degree ...of dyspnea or hypoxemia which does not improve and is unrelated to deterioration in the functional class or the need to optimize pharmacological treatment. High-flow oxygen systems administered via nasal cannula that are connected to heated humidifiers (HFT) are a good alternative for oxygenation, given that they are easy to use and have few complications. We studied a series of 5 patients with acute heart failure due to acute pulmonary edema with stable dyspnea or hypoxemia following noninvasive ventilation. All the patients were successfully treated with HFT, showing clinical and gasometric improvement and no complications or technical failures. We report our experience and discuss different aspects related to this oxygenation system.
En el tratamiento de la insuficiencia respiratoria en la insuficiencia cardiaca aguda se utilizan diferentes métodos de oxigenación. En ocasiones los pacientes, tras ser estabilizados con dichos modos ventilatorios, mantienen un grado de disnea o hipoxemia que no mejora y no es atribuible a un empeoramiento del grado funcional o la necesidad de optimizar el tratamiento farmacológico. Los sistemas de alto flujo con interfase nasal con un calentador humidificador acoplado (AFHC) son una buena alternativa como método de oxigenación, de fácil aplicación y escasas complicaciones. Presentamos una serie de 5 pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca aguda por edema agudo de pulmón con disnea o hipoxemia mantenidas tras la aplicación de ventilación no invasiva. Todos ellos fueron tratados con sistemas de AFHC de forma satisfactoria, con mejoría clínica y gasométrica, sin complicaciones ni fracasos de la técnica. Describimos nuestra experiencia y discutimos diversos aspectos relacionados con dicho sistema de oxigenación.
The objectives were to determine the impact of frailty and disability on 30-day mortality and whether the addition of these variables to HFRSS EFFECT risk score (FBI-EFFECT model) improves the ...short-term mortality predictive capacity of both HFRSS EFFECT and BI-EFFECT models in older patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) atended in the emergency department. We performed a retrospective analysis of OAK Registry including all consecutive patients ≥65 years old with ADHF attended in 3 Spanish emergency departments over 4 months. FBI-EFFECT model was developed by adjusting probabilities of HFRSS EFFECT risk categories according to the 6 groups (G1: non frail, no or mildly dependent; G2: frail, no or mildly dependent; G3: non frail, moderately dependent; G4: frail, moderately dependent; G5: severely dependent; G6: very severely dependent).We included 596 patients (mean age: 83 SD7; 61.2% females). The 30-day mortality was 11.6% with statistically significant differences in the 6 groups (p < 0.001). After adjusting for HFRSS EFFECT risk categories, we observed a progressive increase in hazard ratios from groups G2 to G6 compared with G1 (reference). FBI-EFFECT had a better prognostic accuracy than did HFRSS EFFECT (log-rank p < 0.001; Net Reclassification Improvement NRI = 0.355; p < 0.001; Integrated Discrimination Improvement IDI = 0.052; p ;< 0.001) and BI-EFFECT (log-rank p = 0.067; NRI = 0.210; p = 0.033; IDI = 0.017; p = 0.026). In conclusion, severe disability and frailty in patients with moderate disability are associated with 30-day mortality in ADHF, providing additional value to HFRSS EFFECT model in predicting short-term prognosis and establishing a care plan.
To assess the effects of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in emergency department (ED) patients with acute heart failure (AHF) on short term outcomes.
Patients from the EAHFE Registry (a multicenter, ...observational, multipurpose, cohort-designed database including consecutive AHF patients in 41 Spanish EDs) were grouped based on NIV treatment (NIV+ and NIV–groups). Using propensity score (PS) methodology, we identified two subgroups of patients matched by 38 covariates and compared regarding 30-day survival (primary outcome). Interaction was investigated for age, sex, ischemic cardiomyopathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, AHF precipitated by an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), AHF classified as hypertensive or acute pulmonary edema (APE), and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admission; mechanical ventilation; in-hospital, 3-day and 7-day mortality; and prolonged hospitalization (>7 days).
Of 11,152 patients from the EAHFE (age (SD): 80 (10) years; 55.5% women), 718 (6.4%) were NIV+ and had a higher 30-day mortality (HR = 2.229; 95%CI = 1.861–2.670) (p < 0.001). PS matching provided 2 groups of 490 patients each with no significant differences in 30-day mortality (HR = 1.239; 95%CI = 0.905–1.696) (p = 0.182). Interaction analysis suggested a worse effect of NIV on elderly patients (>85 years, p < 0.001), AHF associated with ACS (p = 0.045), and SBP < 100 mmHg (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found in the secondary endpoints except for more prolonged hospitalizations in NIV+ patients (OR = 1.445; 95%CI = 1.122–1.862) (p = 0.004).
The use of NIV to treat AHF in ED is not associated with improved mortality outcomes and should be cautious in old patients and those with ACS and hypotension.
•NIV is a treatment commonly used for treatment in Acute Pulmonary Oedema.•The use of NIV is associated with an unclear improvement in mortality.•NIV-AHF study concludes that NIV is not associated with improved mortality.•NIV must be used with caution in old patients, patients with hypotension and ACS.
Objective
Little is known about treatments provided by advanced life support (ALS) ambulance teams to patients with acute heart failure (AHF) during the prehospital phase, and their influence on ...short-term outcome. We evaluated the effect of prehospital care in consecutive patients diagnosed with AHF in Spanish emergency departments (EDs).
Methods
We selected patients from the EAHFE registry arriving at the ED by ALS ambulances with available follow-up data. We recorded specific prehospital ALS treatments (supplemental oxygen, diuretics, nitroglycerin, non-invasive ventilation) and patients were grouped according to whether they received low- (LIPHT; 0/1 treatments) or high-intensity prehospital therapy (HIPHT; > 1 treatment) for AHF. We also recorded 46 covariates. The primary endpoint was all-cause 7-day mortality, and secondary endpoints were prolonged hospitalisation (> 10 days) and in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated to compare the groups.
Results
We included 1493 patients mean age 80.7 (10) years; women 54.8%. Prehospital treatment included supplemental oxygen in 71.2%, diuretics in 27.9%, nitroglycerin in 13.5%, and non-invasive ventilation in 5.3%. The LIPHT group included 1041 patients (70.0%) with an unadjusted OR for 7-day mortality of 1.770 (95% CI 1.115–2.811;
p
= 0.016), and 1.939 (95% CI 1.114–3.287,
p
= 0.014) after adjustment for 16 discordant covariables. The adjusted ORs for all secondary endpoints were always > 1 in the LIPHT group, but none reached statistical significance.
Conclusions
Patients finally diagnosed with AHF at then ED that have received LIPHT by the ALS ambulance teams have a poorer short-term outcome, especially during the first 7 days.
Background. We endeavored to construct a simple score based entirely on epidemiological and clinical variables that would stratify patients who require hospital admission because of ...community-acquired pneumonia into groups with a low or high risk of developing bacteremia. Methods. Derivation and internal validation cohorts were obtained by retrospective analysis of a database that included 3116 consecutive patients with community-acquired pneumonia from 2 university hospitals. Potential predictive factors were determined by means of a multivariate logistic regression equation applied to a cohort consisting of 60% of the patients. Points were assigned to significant parameters to generate the score. It was then internally validated with the remaining 40% of patients and was externally validated using an independent multicenter cohort of 1369 patients. Results. The overall rates of bacteremia were 12%-16% in the cohorts. The clinical probability estimate of developing bacteremia was based on 6 variables: liver disease, pleuritic pain, tachycardia, tachypnea, systolic hypotension, and absence of prior antibiotic treatment. For the score, 1 point was assigned to each predictive factor. In the derivation cohort, a cutoff score of 2 best identified the risk of bacteremia. In the validation cohorts, rates of bacteremia were <8% for patients with a score ⩽1 (43%-49% of patients), whereas blood culture results were positive in 14%-63% of cases for patients with a score ⩾2. Conclusions. This clinical score, based on readily available and objective variables, provides a useful tool to predict bacteremia. The score has been internally and externally validated and may be useful to guide diagnostic decisions for community-acquired pneumonia.
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