Population Decline in COPD Admissions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Associated with Lower Burden of Community Respiratory Viral Infections.

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to widespread implementation of public health measures, such as stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and masking mandates. In addition to decreasing spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, these measures also impact the transmission of seasonal viral pathogens, which are common triggers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. Whether reduced viral prevalence mediates reduction in COPD exacerbation rates is unknown. METHODS: We performed retrospective analysis of data from a large, multicenter health care system to assess admission trends associated with community viral prevalence and with initiation of COVID-19 pandemic control measures. We applied difference-in-differences analysis to compare season-matched weekly frequency of hospital admissions for COPD prior to and after implementation of public health measures for COVID-19. Community viral prevalence was estimated using regional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention test positivity data and correlated to COPD admissions. RESULTS: Data involving 4422 COPD admissions demonstrated a season-matched 53% decline in COPD admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which correlated to community viral burden (r = 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.78) and represented a 36% greater decline over admission frequencies observed in other medical conditions less affected by respiratory viral infections (incidence rate ratio 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.71, P < .001). The post-COVID-19 decline in COPD admissions was most pronounced in patients with fewer comorbidities and without recurrent admissions. CONCLUSION: The implementation of public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with decreased COPD admissions. These changes are plausibly explained by reduced prevalence of seasonal respiratory viruses.

Operational Recommendations for Scarce Resource Allocation in a Public Health Crisis.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic may require rationing of various medical resources if demand exceeds supply. Theoretical frameworks for resource allocation have provided much needed ethical guidance, but hospitals still need to address objective practicalities and legal vetting to operationalize scarce resource allocation schemata. To develop operational scarce resource allocation processes for public health catastrophes, including the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, five health systems in Maryland formed a consortium-with diverse expertise and representation-representing more than half of all hospitals in the state. Our efforts built on a prior statewide community engagement process that determined the values and moral reference points of citizens and health-care professionals regarding the allocation of ventilators during a public health catastrophe. Through a partnership of health systems, we developed a scarce resource allocation framework informed by citizens' values and by general expert consensus. Allocation schema for mechanical ventilators, ICU resources, blood components, novel therapeutics, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and renal replacement therapies were developed. Creating operational algorithms for each resource posed unique challenges; each resource's varying nature and underlying data on benefit prevented any single algorithm from being universally applicable. The development of scarce resource allocation processes must be iterative, legally vetted, and tested. We offer our processes to assist other regions that may be faced with the challenge of rationing health-care resources during public health catastrophes.

Neuromechanical control of upper airway patency during sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by pharyngeal occlusion due to alterations in upper airway mechanical properties and/or disturbances in neuromuscular control. The objective of the study was to determine the relative contribution of mechanical loads and dynamic neuromuscular responses to pharyngeal collapse during sleep. Sixteen obstructive sleep apnea patients and sixteen normal subjects were matched on age, sex, and body mass index. Pharyngeal collapsibility, defined by the critical pressure, was measured during sleep. The critical pressure was partitioned between its passive mechanical properties (passive critical pressure) and active dynamic responses to upper airway obstruction (active critical pressure). Compared with normal subjects, sleep apnea patients demonstrated elevated mechanical loads as demonstrated by higher passive critical pressures [-0.05 (SD 2.4) vs. -4.5 cmH2O (SD 3.0), P = 0.0003]. Dynamic responses were depressed in sleep apnea patients, as suggested by failure to lower their active critical pressures [-1.6 (SD 3.5) vs. -11.1 cmH2O (SD 5.3), P < 0.0001] in response to upper airway obstruction. Moreover, elevated mechanical loads placed some normal individuals at risk for sleep apnea. In this subset, dynamic responses to upper airway obstruction compensated for mechanical loads and maintained airway patency by lowering the active critical pressure. The present study suggests that increased mechanical loads and blunted neuromuscular responses are both required for the development of obstructive sleep apnea.

Dynamic modulation of upper airway function during sleep: a novel single-breath method.

To examine the dynamic modulation of upper airway (UA) function during sleep, we devised a novel approach to measuring the critical pressure (Pcrit) within a single breath in tracheostomized sleep apnea patients. We hypothesized that the UA continuously modulates airflow dynamics during transtracheal insufflation. In this study, we examine tidal pressure-flow relationships throughout the respiratory cycle to compare phasic differences in UA collapsibility between closure and reopening. Five apneic subjects (with tracheostomy) were recruited (2 men, 3 women; 18-50 yr; 20-35 kg/m2; apnea-hypopnea index >20) for this polysomnographic study. Outgoing airflow through the UA (face mask pneumotachograph) and tracheal pressure were recorded during brief transtracheal administration of insufflated airflow via a catheter. Pressure-flow relationships were generated from deflation (approaching Pcrit) and inflation (after Pcrit) of the UA during non-rapid eye movement sleep. During each breath, UA function was described by a pressure-flow relationship that defined the collapsibility (Pcrit) and upstream resistance (Rus). UA characteristics were examined in the presence and absence of complete UA occlusion. We demonstrated that Pcrit and Rus changed dynamically throughout the respiratory cycle. The UA closing pressure (4.4 +/- 2.0 cm H2O) was significantly lower than the opening pressure (10.8 +/- 2.4 cm H2O). Rus was higher for deflation (18.1 +/- 2.4 cm H2O x l(-1) x s) than during inflation (7.5 +/- 1.9 cm H2O x l(-1) x s) of the UA. Preventing occlusion decreases UA pressure-flow loop hysteresis by approximately 4 cm H2O. These findings indicate that UA collapsibility varies dynamically throughout the respiratory cycle and that both local mechanical and neuromuscular factors may be responsible for this dynamic modulation of UA function during sleep.

The association between daytime sleepiness and sleep-disordered breathing in NREM and REM sleep.

BACKGROUND: Daytime sleepiness is common in patients with sleep-disordered breathing. Although respiratory events during sleep are associated with the occurrence of daytime sleepiness, the differential impact of these events during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep on daytime sleepiness has not been well characterized. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of respiratory events during REM sleep and NREM sleep on daytime sleepiness, as assessed by the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University-based sleep disorders laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Patients referred for polysomnography and daytime MSLT (n=1,821). INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The study sample was initially divided into quartiles based on the level of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) during NREM sleep. Within the first NREM-AHI quartile (NREM-AHI < 8.3 events/hr), the association between REM-related respiratory events and daytime sleepiness was examined using the method of Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression. After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and the duration of NREM and REM sleep, REM-AHI was not associated with daytime sleepiness (Relative Risk: 1.01; 95%CI: 0.94-1.10). Similarly, no significant association was observed between REM-AHI and the MSLT in patients within the second through fourth NREM-AHI quartiles. In contrast, increasing severity of disordered breathing during NREM sleep was associated with daytime sleepiness. For a 10-point increase in NREM-AHI, the adjusted relative risks for daytime sleepiness in the second through fourth NREM-AHI quartile were 1.21 (95%CI: 1.01-1.46), 1.20 (95%CI: 1.05-1.37), and 1.10 (95%CI: 1.04-1.16), respectively. CONCLUSION: Sleep-disordered breathing during NREM sleep, but not REM sleep, is associated with increased risk of daytime sleepiness.