Noninvasive proportional assist ventilation and pressure support ventilation during arm elevation in patients with chronic respiratory failure. A preliminary, physiologic study.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that upper limbs activity increases the respiratory workload in patients with chronic respiratory failure (CRF). The object of the present study was to investigate whether, in these patients: (i) noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) could sustain the inspiratory muscles to meet the greater ventilatory demand during upper limbs activity with the arm elevation test (AE); (ii) proportional assist ventilation (PAV) might be superior to pressure support ventilation (PSV) during AE, because of its potential more adaptable response to sudden changes in the ventilatory pattern. METHODS: The study was performed in the pulmonary function laboratory of the Pulmonary Division in Verona General Hospital, Verona, Italy. We studied 8 male patients with CRF due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Each patient received 2 treatment in random order with a crossover design: spontaneous breathing (SB), SB with AE, either PSV or PAV without and with AE, SB without and with AE, either PSV or PAV without and with AE. We measured: lung function tests, lung mechanics, ventilatory pattern and diaphragmatic effort (pressure time product, PTP(di)). RESULTS: (i) AE increases minute ventilation (+14%) and PTP(di) (+64%); (ii) ventilatory support, both with PSV and PAV unloads the diaphragm both at rest (PTP(di) -77% and -54%, respectively) and during arm elevation (PTP(di) -54% and -44%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PAV and PSV unloads the diaphragm in patients with CRF due to COPD both during SB and AE; PAV can be more efficient than PSV in assisting the diaphragm during AE in producing a greater level of minute ventilation for a similar rise in PTP(di) compared to PSV. Noninvasive ventilatory support should be considered in rehabilitation programs for training of upper limbs activity.

Physiologic factors predisposing to chronic respiratory failure.

V(A)/Q mismatching and load/capacity imbalance are the major physiologic determinants of chronic respiratory failure. The former underlies lung failure and the consequent development of hypoxemia. The latter causes chronic ventilatory failure and hypercapnia. This is the consequence of an inefficient breathing pattern with lower VT and higher respiratory rate, probably due to the "wise choice" of preventing excessive inspiratory effort and eventually respiratory muscle fatigue. In many disorders, V(A)/Q mismatching and the load/capacity imbalance coexist, particularly in COPD, where the interplay between the two pathophysiologically represents the advanced stage of the disease. In other disorders, one of the two mechanisms prevails; for example, V(A)/Q mismatching in pure lung diseases, and chest wall mechanics in thoracic disorders. This has important therapeutic implications because oxygen administration can relieve hypoxemia, whereas mechanical ventilation can prevent excessive hypercapnia and respiratory acidosis. Although the role of oxygen therapy is well established, the role of chronic mechanical ventilation is still a matter of debate, particularly in COPD. A major task for future research is to achieve the best possible understanding of the pathophysiologic factors predisposing to chronic ventilatory failure, to prevent the progression of the respiratory diseases to the stage when chronic respiratory failure eventually develops.

Mask proportional assist vs pressure support ventilation in patients in clinically stable condition with chronic ventilatory failure.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term physiologic effects of mask pressure support ventilation (PSV) and proportional assist ventilation (PAV) in patients in clinically stable condition with chronic ventilatory failure (CVF). DESIGN: Randomized, controlled physiologic study. SETTING: Lung function units of two pulmonary rehabilitation centers. PATIENTS: Eighteen patients with CVF caused by COPD (11 patients) and restrictive chest wall diseases (RCWDs) [7 patients]. METHODS: Assessment of breathing pattern and minute ventilation (E), respiratory muscles and lung mechanics, and patient/ventilator interaction during both unassisted and assisted ventilation. After baseline assessment during spontaneous breathing (SB), mask PSV and PAV were randomly applied at the patient's comfort, with the addition of the same level of continuous positive airway pressure (2 cm H2O or 4 cm H2O in all patients), for 30 min each, with a 20-min interval of SB between periods of assisted ventilation. RESULTS: A longer time was spent to set PAV than PSV (663 +/- 179 s and 246 +/- 58 s, respectively; p < 0.001). Mean airway opening pressure (Pao) computed over a period of 1 min, but not peak Pao, was significantly lower with PAV than with PSV (151 +/- 45 cm H2O/s/min and 207 +/- 73 cm H2O/s/min, respectively; p < 0.002). Tidal volume (VT) exhibited a greater variability with PAV than with PSV (variation coefficient, 16.3% +/- 10.5% vs 11.6% +/- 7.7%, respectively; p < 0.05). Compared with SB, both modalities resulted in a significant increase in VT (by 40% and 36% with PAV and PSV, respectively, on average) and E (by 37% and 35%) with unchanged breathing frequency and duty cycle. Both modalities significantly reduced esophageal (by 39% and 51%) and diaphragmatic (by 42% and 63%) pressure-time products, respectively. Ineffective efforts were observed with neither modes of assistance in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: In resting, awake patients in clinically stable condition with CVF caused by either COPD or RCWD, noninvasive application of PAV, set at the patient's comfort, was not superior to PSV either in increasing VT and E or in unloading the inspiratory muscles. We failed to find any difference in patient/ventilator interaction between ventilatory modes.

[Controversies on the efficacy of noninvasive ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)]. / Controversie sull'efficacia della ventilazione non invasiva nella broncopneumopatia cronica ostruttiva.

Clinical studies have shown that noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) have significant advantages in the treatment of respiratory failure due to COPD. Reduced intubation need, decreased complications and mortality and less hospitalization in intensive care unit are recognized benefits of NPPV. A general consensus has been reached that NPPV application in acute respiratory failure can decrease respiratory muscles effort and improve gas exchange, when performed in selected patients by an expert team. Application of long term NPPV in patients with advanced stable COPD and chronic CO2 retention is still controversial. The contrasting results were obtained from studies with small patients number, short time observation and different patient's selection. Therefore randomized and controlled studies with a great number of patients are essential to evaluate the effects of NPPV in stable COPD patients with chronic retention of CO2, not only in survival but also in quality of life.