[Severity scores and factors related with mortality in cases with community-acquired pneumonia patients in intensive care unit]. / Yogun bakimda izlenen toplum kökenli pnömoni olgularinin hastalik agirlik skorlamalari ve mortalite üzerine etkili faktörler.

Totally 48 cases with diagnosed as community-acquired pneumonia who were treated in intensive care units of two different university hospital included to the study. The mean age of cases was 67.8, 29 were males and 19 females. Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), Acute Physiology Assesment and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score (SOFA) of 46 cases were determined. The most common comorbid disease was cerebrovascular disease. We determined that microbiological tests were made in 30 cases and pathogen agent was established in 7 cases of them. The mean lenght of stay in hospital and intensive care unit were 16.1 days and 8.8 days respectively. The mean GCS was 11.4, the mean PSI was 130.7 and 38 cases were in high risk classes. The mean APACHE II and SOFA scores were 20.7 and 4.4 respectively. We determined that hypotension and intubation increased the mortality risk. The mean blood urea nitrogen, %PNL and respiratory rate were higher in cases who were died. The mortality rate in group 3b and group 4 were respectively 41.2% and 44.0%. Totally 20 (41.7%) cases died.

Noninvasive assisted pressure-controlled ventilation: as effective as pressure support ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is being increasingly used in hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients but the most appropriate ventilation mode is still not known. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate if assisted pressure-controlled ventilation (APCV) can be a better alternative to pressure-support ventilation (PSV) for NIV in COPD patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). METHODS: In this prospective randomized study, we evaluated the early effects of noninvasive APCV and PSV in 34 consecutive COPD patients with AHRF. Patients were randomized into 1 of the 2 modes, and respiratory and hemodynamic values were compared before and after 1 h of NIV. RESULTS: Baseline values did not differ between the 2 groups. There were significant improvements in partial arterial carbon dioxide pressure and pH levels in the APCV group when compared with baseline (p < 0.05). Cardiac output and cardiac index decreased in both groups (p < 0.05) but more significantly in the PSV group (p < 0.0001). The decreases in stroke volume index and increases in arterial oxygen content after NIV were also considerable in both groups (p < 0.05). Central venous pressure and systemic vascular resistance index values increased notably only after PSV (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: From these data, we deduce that APCV can be a better alternative to PSV for NIV in COPD patients with AHRF owing to its more beneficial physiological effects.