Mechanical ventilation in patients in the intensive care unit of a general university hospital in southern Brazil: an epidemiological study

OBJECTIVES: To determine the characteristics, the frequency and the mortality rates of patients needing mechanical ventilation and to identify the risk factors associated with mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a general university hospital in southern Brazil. METHOD: Prospective cohort study in patients admitted to the ICU who needed mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours between March 2004 and April 2007. RESULTS: A total of 1,115 patients admitted to the ICU needed mechanical ventilation. The mortality rate was 51%. The mean age (± standard deviation) was 57±18 years, and the mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was 22.6±8.3. The variables independently associated with mortality were (i) conditions present at the beginning of mechanical ventilation, age (hazard ratio: 1.01; p<0.001); the APACHE II score (hazard ratio: 1.01; p<0.005); acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (hazard ratio: 1.38; p=0.009), sepsis (hazard ratio: 1.33; p=0.003), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (hazard ratio: 0.58; p=0.042), and pneumonia (hazard ratio: 0.78; p=0.013) as causes of mechanical ventilation; and renal (hazard ratio: 1.29; p=0.011) and neurological (hazard ratio: 1.25; p=0.024) failure, and (ii) conditions occurring during the course of mechanical ventilation, acute lung injuri/acute respiratory distress syndrome (hazard ratio: 1.31; p<0.010); sepsis (hazard ratio: 1.53; p<0.001); and renal (hazard ratio: 1.75; p<0.001), cardiovascular (hazard ratio: 1.32; p≤0.009), and hepatic (hazard ratio: 1.67; p≤0.001) failure. CONCLUSIONS: This large cohort study provides a comprehensive profile of mechanical ventilation patients in South America. The mortality rate of patients who required mechanical ventilation was higher, which may have been related to the severity of illness of the patients admitted to our ICU. Risk factors for hospital mortality included conditions present at the start of mechanical ventilation conditions that occurred during mechanical support.

Pulse pressure variation and prediction of fluid responsiveness in patients ventilated with low tidal volumes

OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility of pulse pressure variation (ΔRESP PP) in predicting fluid responsiveness in patients ventilated with low tidal volumes (V T) and to investigate whether a lower ΔRESP PP cut-off value should be used when patients are ventilated with low tidal volumes. METHOD: This cross-sectional observational study included 37 critically ill patients with acute circulatory failure who required fluid challenge. The patients were sedated and mechanically ventilated with a V T of 6-7 ml/kg ideal body weight, which was monitored with a pulmonary artery catheter and an arterial line. The mechanical ventilation and hemodynamic parameters, including ΔRESP PP, were measured before and after fluid challenge with 1,000 ml crystalloids or 500 ml colloids. Fluid responsiveness was defined as an increase in the cardiac index of at least 15%. ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT01569308. RESULTS: A total of 17 patients were classified as responders. Analysis of the area under the ROC curve (AUC) showed that the optimal cut-off point for ΔRESP PP to predict fluid responsiveness was 10% (AUC = 0.74). Adjustment of the ΔRESP PP to account for driving pressure did not improve the accuracy (AUC = 0.76). A ΔRESP PP>10% was a better predictor of fluid responsiveness than central venous pressure (AUC = 0.57) or pulmonary wedge pressure (AUC = 051). Of the 37 patients, 25 were in septic shock. The AUC for ΔRESP PP>10% to predict responsiveness in patients with septic shock was 0.484 (sensitivity, 78%; specificity, 93%). CONCLUSION: The parameter D RESP PP has limited value in predicting fluid responsiveness in patients who are ventilated with low tidal volumes, but a ΔRESP PP>10% is a significant improvement over static parameters. A ΔRESP PP > 10% may be particularly useful for identifying responders in patients with septic shock.

Mobilização do paciente crítico em ventilação mecânica: relato de caso / Mobilization of the critically ill patient in mechanical ventilation

A polineuropatia do paciente crítico (PNPC) é uma patologia relativamente comum no ambiente de terapia intensiva e ocasiona aumento do tempo de internação e de ventilação mecânica. Uma das causas relacionadas a essa patologia é a imobilização do paciente. O caso relatado é de um paciente de 18 anos, desnutrido, usuário de crack e com vírus da imunodeficiência humana e tuberculose pulmonar e intestinal. O paciente apresentou insuficiência respiratória necessitando de ventilação mecânica (VM) prolongada e PNPC associada. A fisioterapia com mobilização do paciente mesmo em uso de VM parece ter sido fundamental para a melhora da recuperação funcional associada à adequada nutrição e o tratamento das patologias apresentadas pelo paciente.

Polyneuropathy of critically ill patients, a relatively common condition in intensive care settings, increases length of hospitalization and mechanical ventilation. This disease is associated with patient immobilization. This report describes the case of an 18-year-old malnourished crack user and HIV-positive patient that had intestinal and pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient developed respiratory failure, which required prolonged mechanical ventilation, and polyneuropathy. Physical therapy with mobilization of the patient even while receiving mechanical ventilation, together with appropriate nutrition and treatment of the diseases, was instrumental in improving functional recovery.