Patients with cystic fibrosis should not be intubated and ventilated

Acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary exacerbation in children with cystic fibrosis admitted in a pediatric intensive care unit: outcomes and factors associated with mortality

BACKGROUND

Children with advanced pulmonary disease due to cystic fibrosis (CF) are at risk of acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary exacerbations leading to their admission to pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The objectives of this study were to determine short and medium-term outcomes of children with CF admitted to PICU for acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary exacerbation and to identify prognosis factors.

METHODS

This retrospective monocentric study included patients less than 18 years old admitted to the PICU of a French university hospital between 2000 and 2020. Cox proportional hazard regression methods were used to determine prognosis factors of mortality or lung transplant.

RESULTS

Prior to PICU admission, the 29 patients included (median age 13.5 years) had a severe lung disease (median Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s percentage predicted at 29%). Mortality rates were respectively 17%, 31%, 34%, 41% at discharge and at 3, 12 and 36 months post-discharge. Survival rates free of lung transplant were 34%, 32%, 24% and 17% respectively. Risk factors associated with mortality or lung transplant using the univariate analysis were female sex and higher pCO2 and chloride levels at PICU admission, and following pre admission characteristics: home respiratory and nutritional support, registration on lung transplant list and Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia bronchial colonization.

CONCLUSION

Children with CF admitted to PICU for acute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary exacerbations are at high risk of death, both in the short and medium terms. Lung transplant is their main chance of survival and should be considered early.

Using administrative health data for palliative and end of life care research in Ireland: potential and challenges

Background: This study aims to examine the potential of currently available administrative health and social care data for palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) research in Ireland. Objectives include to i) identify data sources for PEoLC research ii) describe the challenges and opportunities of using these and iii) evaluate the impact of recent health system reforms and changes to data protection laws.

Methods: The 2017 Health Information and Quality Authority catalogue of health and social care datasets was cross-referenced with a recognised list of diseases with associated palliative care needs. Criteria to assess the datasets included population coverage, data collected, data dictionary and data model availability, and mechanisms for data access.

Results: Nine datasets with potential for PEoLC research were identified, including death certificate data, hospital episode data, pharmacy claims data,  one national survey, four disease registries (cancer, cystic fibrosis, motor neurone and interstitial lung disease) and a national renal transplant registry.  The ad hoc development of the health system in Ireland has resulted in i) a fragmented information infrastructure resulting in gaps in data collections particularly in the primary and community care sector where much palliative care is delivered, ii) ill-defined data governance arrangements across service providers, many of whom are not part of the publically funded health service and iii) systemic and temporal issues that affect data quality. Initiatives to improve data collections include introduction of i) patient unique identifiers, ii) health entity identifiers and iii) integration of the Eircode postcodes. Recently enacted general data protection and health research regulations will clarify legal and ethical requirements for data use.

Conclusions: Ongoing reform initiatives and recent changes to data privacy laws combined with detailed knowledge of the datasets, appropriate permissions, and good study design will facilitate future use of administrative health and social care data for PEoLC research in Ireland.

Noninvasive Ventilation in Cystic Fibrosis: Clinical Indications and Outcomes in a Large UK Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is routinely used to treat patients with cystic fibrosis and respiratory failure. However, evidence on its use is limited, with no data on its role in disease progression and outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the indications of NIV use and to describe the outcomes associated with NIV in adults with cystic fibrosis in a large adult tertiary center.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of data captured prospectively on the unit electronic patient records was performed. All patients with cystic fibrosis who received NIV over a 10-y period were included in the study. A priori, 2 groups were identified based on length of follow-up, with 2 subgroups identified based on duration of NIV treatment.

RESULTS

NIV was initiated on 64 occasions. The duration of follow-up was categorized as > 6 months or < 6 months in 31 (48.4%) and 33 (51.6%) occasions, respectively. The most common indications for starting NIV were chronic (48.5%) and acute (32.8%) hypercapnic respiratory failure. Among those with a follow-up > 6 months, subjects who stopped using NIV early showed a steady median (interquartile range) decline in FEV₁ (pre-NIV: -0.04 [-0.35 to 0.03] L/y vs post-NIV: -0.07 [-0.35 to 0.01] L/y, P = .51), while among those who continued using it had an improvement in the rate of decline (pre-NIV: -0.25 [-0.52 to -0.02] L/y vs post-NIV: -0.07 [-0.13 to 0.16] L/y, P = .006). No differences in intravenous antibiotic requirement or pulmonary exacerbations were noted with the use of NIV. Pneumothorax and massive hemoptysis occurred independently in 4 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

NIV is being used in cystic fibrosis as adjunct therapy for the management of advanced lung disease in a similar fashion to other chronic respiratory conditions. Adherence to NIV treatment can stabilize lung function but does not reduce pulmonary exacerbations or intravenous antibiotic requirement.

Using linked administrative health data for palliative and end of life care research in Ireland: potential and challenges

Background: This study aims to examine the potential of currently available administrative health data for palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) research in Ireland. Objectives include to i) identify administrative health data sources for PEoLC research ii) describe the challenges and opportunities of using these and iii) estimate  the impact of recent health system reforms and changes to data protection laws.  Methods: The 2017 Health Information and Quality Authority catalogue of health and social care datasets was cross-referenced with a recognised list of diseases with associated palliative care needs. Criteria to assess the datasets included population coverage, data collected, data dictionary and data model availability and mechanisms for data access. Results: Eight datasets with potential for PEoLC research were identified, including four disease registries, (cancer, cystic fibrosis, motor neurone and interstitial lung disease), death certificate data, hospital episode data, community prescription data and one national survey. The ad hoc development of the health system in Ireland has resulted in i) a fragmented information infrastructure resulting in gaps in data collections particularly in the primary and community care sector where much palliative care is delivered, ii) ill-defined data governance arrangements across service providers, many of whom are not part of the publically funded health service and iii) systemic and temporal issues that affect data quality. Initiatives to improve data collections include introduction of i) patient unique identifiers, ii) health entity identifiers and iii) integration of the eircode postcodes. Recently enacted general data protection and health research regulations will clarify legal and ethical requirements for data  use. Conclusions: With appropriate permissions, detailed knowledge of the datasets and good study design currently available administrative health data can be used for PEoLC research. Ongoing reform initiatives and recent changes to data privacy laws will facilitate future use of administrative health data for PEoLC research.

Outcomes of Children With Cystic Fibrosis Admitted to PICUs

OBJECTIVES

Data on outcomes of children with cystic fibrosis admitted to PICUs are limited and outdated. Prior studies cite PICU mortality rates ranging from 37.5% to 100%. Given the advances made in cystic fibrosis care, we expect outcomes for these patients to have changed significantly since last studied. We provide an updated report on PICU mortality and the factors associated with death among critically ill children with cystic fibrosis.

DESIGN

Retrospective multicenter cohort analysis utilizing data from the Virtual Pediatric Systems database.

SETTING

Data were collected from 135 PICUs from January 1, 2009, to June 20, 2018.

PATIENTS

One-thousand six-hundred thirty-three children with cystic fibrosis accounting for 2,893 PICU admissions were studied.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The primary outcome was mortality during PICU admission. Predictors included demographics, anthropometrics, diagnoses, clinical characteristics, and critical care interventions. Odds ratios of mortality were calculated in univariate and multivariable analyses to assess differences in mortality associated with predictor variables. Generalized estimating equation models were used to account for multiple admissions per patient. The overall PICU mortality rate was 6.6%. Factors associated with increased odds of mortality included hemoptysis/pulmonary hemorrhage, pneumothorax, gastrointestinal bleeding, bacterial/fungal infections, lower body mass index/malnutrition, and need for noninvasive or invasive respiratory support. Intubation/mechanical ventilation occurred in 26.4% of the 2,893 admissions and was associated with a 19.1% mortality rate. Of the nonsurvivors, 20.7% died without receiving mechanical ventilation.

CONCLUSIONS

The mortality rate during PICU admissions for patients with cystic fibrosis is lower than has been reported in prior studies, both in the overall cohort and in the subset requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. These data provide updated insight into the prognosis for cystic fibrosis patients requiring critical care.

Mortality in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis Requiring Mechanical Ventilation. Cross-Sectional Analysis of Nationwide Events

Rationale: Survival in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is improving over time. Traditionally, there has been concern about high mortality in individuals with CF requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for respiratory failure.Objectives: We hypothesized that mortality has decreased over time in this population because of improvements in disease-specific therapies.Methods: The U.S. Nationwide Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database was used to identify adult patients with CF undergoing IMV between 2002 and 2014. Patients with nonurgent/nonemergent admissions, pregnancy, and encounters related to lung transplantation were excluded. Demographic, geographic, and comorbidities were analyzed. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to examine trends in mortality over time. Multivariate mixed effects logistic regression was used to account for possible differences in hospital mortality patterns.Results: We identified 58,799 CF admissions from 2002 to 2014, with 3,727 (6.3%) undergoing IMV. After exclusions, 1,711 admissions remained. In 762 (44.5%) of adult hospitalizations, the patient died. Annual mortality per hospitalization ranged from 29.9 to 55.3%. The Cochran-Armitage trend test suggested an increased probability of survival over time. Factors significantly associated with mortality in multivariate analysis included female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-2.09), acute renal failure (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.32-3.01), and malnutrition (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.01-2.06). IMV greater than 96 hours was associated with increased mortality in univariate analysis (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.14-1.98); however, after adjustment for potential confounders, the association was no longer statistically significant (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.77-1.43).Conclusions: Mortality per hospitalization in adults with CF who are not bridging to lung transplant and require emergent IMV is 44.5%, suggesting IMV is not futile. Furthermore, mortality decreased over the study period. These finding may help providers, families, and patients with CF weigh the risks and benefits of IMV for respiratory failure.

Predictors and variation of routine home discharge in critically ill adults with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

The short-term outcomes of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) surviving critical illness were not examined systematically.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the factors associated with and variation in rates of routine home discharge among ICU-managed adult CF patients.

METHODS

Predictors of routine home discharge and its hospital-level variation were examined in ICU-managed adults with cystic fibrosis in Texas during 2004-2013.

RESULTS

Older age, rural residence, and severity of illness decreased odds of routine home discharge, while hospitalization in facilities accredited as part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Care Center Network nearly doubled the odds of routine home discharge. The median (interquartile) adjusted rate of routine home discharge was 62.0% (31.5-82.5).

CONCLUSIONS

The identified determinants of routine home discharge can inform clinical decision-making, while the demonstrated wide variation in adjusted across-hospital rates of routine home discharge of ICU-managed adults with CF can provide benchmark data for future quality improvement efforts.

Critical illness among adults with cystic fibrosis in Texas, 2004-2013: Patterns of ICU utilization, characteristics, and outcomes

Objective

Available reports on critically ill adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) suggest improving short-term outcomes. However, there is marked heterogeneity in reported findings, with studies mostly based on single-centered data, limiting generalizability. We sought to examine population-level patterns of demand for critical care resources, and the characteristics, resource utilization, and outcomes of ICU-managed adults with CF.

Methods

We used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to identify ICU admissions with CF aged ≥18 years in Texas between 2004–2013. We examined ICU utilization at population level (using CF Foundation annual reports) and, among ICU admissions, socio-demographic characteristics, burden of comorbidities, organ failure, life-support utilization and hospital disposition. Linear regression and multilevel logistic regression were used to examine temporal trends and predictors of short-term mortality (hospital death and discharge to hospice), respectively.

Results

Of 9,579 hospitalizations of adults with CF, 1,249 (13%) were admitted to ICU. The incidence of ICU admission among adults with CF in Texas increased between 2004–2005 and 2012–2013 from 16.7 to 19.2 per 100 person-years (p = 0.0181), with ICU admissions aged ≥30 years accounting for 80.3% of the change. Among ICU admissions the following changes were noted between 2004–2005 and 2012–2013: any organ failure 30.2% vs. 56.3% (p = 0.0004), mechanical ventilation 11.5% vs. 19.2% (p = 0.0216), and hemodialysis 1.0% vs. 8.1% (p = 0.0007). Short-term mortality for the whole cohort and for those with mechanical ventilation was 11.4% and 41.8%, respectively, with corresponding home discharge among survivors 84% and 62.1%, respectively. Key predictors (adjusted odds ratios [aOR (95% CI)]) of short-term mortality included age ≥45 years (2.051 [1.231–3.415]), female gender (1.907 [1.237–2.941]), and mechanical ventilation (7.982 [5.001–12.739]).

Conclusions

Adults with CF had high and rising population-level burden of critical illness. Although ICU admissions were increasingly older and sicker, the majority survived hospitalization, with most discharged home, supporting short-term benefits of critical care in the present cohort.

Physician practices for communicating with patients with cystic fibrosis about the use of noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation

BACKGROUND

Many patients with advanced cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease receive intensive treatments such as noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure after little or no communication with physicians.

METHODS

Using surveys and follow-up interviews, physicians at two major CF care centers reported their practices for discussing intensive treatment preferences with patients with CF and about barriers and facilitators to communication.

RESULTS

Surveys were completed by 30 (88%) and 26 (76%) of 34 eligible CF physicians who provide care for children (60%), adults (23%), or both (17%). Respondents described variable timing and content of discussions. They identified patient/family factors such as denial of disease severity, optimistic expectations of treatment outcomes, inability of ill patients to participate in discussions, and family disagreements about treatments as primary barriers to discussions. They also acknowledged physician factors, including concern for taking away hope and uncertainty about when to address treatment preferences. Patient/family factors were also the most common facilitators identified, particularly disease severity and inquiry about intensive treatments. They recommended: (1) developing standards for communication, (2) offering training in communication for physicians, (3) creating decision support tools for patients and families, and (4) using the multidisciplinary CF care team to facilitate communication.

CONCLUSIONS

CF physicians describe numerous patient/family factors barriers to communicating about intensive treatments for respiratory failure. They recommend changing physician and organizational factors to improve practice and promote effective communication. Innovation in clinical training, team roles, and decision support may prompt changes in practice standards.

Severe hypercapnia in critically ill adult cystic fibrosis patients

Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenetic autosomal recessive multi-organ disease affecting approximately 50,000 patients worldwide. Overall median survival is continually increasing but pulmonary disease remains the most common cause of death. Guidelines have been published in relation to the outpatient maintenance of lung health for CF patients and treatment of acute lung exacerbations but little information exists about the management of the critically ill CF patient. Invasive mechanical ventilation in CF patients with acute respiratory failure is associated with poor outcome and high mortality.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of adult patients with CF who required endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU).

Results

Between the years 2003 - 2009, 14 adult patients with CF required endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. Eleven patients died in the MICU because of progressive respiratory failure and inability to liberate from mechanical ventilation. Seven individuals consistently manifested arterial partial pressures of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) greater than 20.00 kPa despite high levels of conventional modes of mechanical ventilation.

Conclusion

Intubated CF patients with respiratory failure have a high mortality rate. Based on our experience, multiple factors contribute to severe hypercapnia and the effectiveness of conventional modes of mechanical ventilation in many of these patients is limited.

Keywords

Cystic fibrosis; Mechanical ventilation; Critical care; Hypercapnia; Respiratory failure