The effect of early tracheal extubation combined with physical training on pulmonary rehabilitation of patients after lung transplantation: a randomized controlled trial

Optimizing patient outcomes in interstitial lung disease through pre- and post-transplant management strategies

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) encompass a diverse group of over 200 chronic pulmonary disorders characterized by varying degrees of inflammation and fibrosis, which can lead to severe respiratory impairment. Lung transplantation offers a crucial therapeutic option for patients with advanced ILD, extending survival and improving quality of life. This review explores optimal management strategies in both the pre- and post-transplant phases to enhance patient outcomes. Comprehensive pre-transplant evaluation, including pulmonary function testing, imaging, and comorbidity assessment, is critical for determining transplant eligibility and timing. Post-transplant care must focus on preventing complications such as primary graft dysfunction and chronic lung allograft dysfunction, managed through tailored immunosuppression and proactive monitoring. Recent advancements in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic approaches, including emerging technologies like ex vivo lung perfusion and precision medicine, promise to further improve outcomes. The ultimate goal is to establish an evidence-based, multidisciplinary framework for optimizing ILD management and lung transplantation.

A Focused Update to the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pain, Anxiety, Agitation/Sedation, Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the ICU

RATIONALE

Critically ill adults are at risk for a variety of distressing and consequential symptoms both during and after an ICU stay. Management of these symptoms can directly influence outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to update and expand the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pain, Agitation/Sedation, Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the ICU.

PANEL DESIGN

The interprofessional inclusive guidelines task force was composed of 24 individuals including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychologists, and ICU survivors. The task force developed evidence-based recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Conflict-of-interest policies were strictly followed in all phases of the guidelines, including task force selection and voting.

METHODS

The task force focused on five main content areas as they pertain to adult ICU patients: anxiety (new topic), agitation/sedation, delirium, immobility, and sleep disruption. Using the GRADE approach, we conducted a rigorous systematic review for each population, intervention, control, and outcome question to identify the best available evidence, statistically summarized the evidence, assessed the quality of evidence, and then performed the evidence-to-decision framework to formulate recommendations.

RESULTS

The task force issued five statements related to the management of anxiety, agitation/sedation, delirium, immobility, and sleep disruption in adults admitted to the ICU. In adult patients admitted to the ICU, the task force issued conditional recommendations to use dexmedetomidine over propofol for sedation, provide enhanced mobilization/rehabilitation over usual mobilization/rehabilitation, and administer melatonin. The task force was unable to issue recommendations on the administration of benzodiazepines to treat anxiety, and the use of antipsychotics to treat delirium.

CONCLUSIONS

The guidelines task force provided recommendations for pharmacologic management of agitation/sedation and sleep, and nonpharmacologic management of immobility in critically ill adults. These recommendations are intended for consideration along with the patient's clinical status.

Predictors and reasons for unplanned early rehospitalization in lung transplant recipients: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Unplanned early rehospitalization (UER) is common among lung transplant recipients, but its incidence varies among lung transplant centers. This study aimed to analyze the incidence, causes and predictors of UER in a lung transplant center in China and to explore the impact of preoperative nutritional risk status, postoperative duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in the intensive care unit on unplanned readmission in lung transplant patients.

Methods

This study was conducted in one of the largest lung transplant centers in China. We collected demographic and clinical data from lung transplant recipients who underwent transplantation and were discharged in 2022. Predictors of UER within 30 days after discharge were analyzed through a retrospective cohort study.

Results

A total of 99 patients were included in this study. The incidence of UER was 29.3%. The three most common reasons were chest distress with shortness of breath (38%), cough with expectoration (21%), and fever (21%). Multivariate analysis revealed that the postoperative MV duration [odds ratio (OR) =1.027; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.008-1.046; P=0.004] and preoperative Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) score (OR =1.615; 95% CI: 1.189-2.194; P=0.002) were significant risk factors for UER.

Conclusions

Patients with higher preoperative NRS-2002 scores and longer postoperative MV duration had a greater risk of UER within 30 days after initial discharge. More research is needed to determine whether improving preoperative nutritional risk status and shortening the duration of MV can reduce UER in patients.

Postoperative conditions of rehabilitative interest in lung transplantation: a systematic review

Lung transplantation is an elective treatment option for end-stage respiratory diseases in which all medical therapy options have been exhausted. The current study aimed to identify updated information on the postoperative conditions that may impair rehabilitation after lung transplantation and to provide specific considerations of their clinical relevance during the recovery process. The present study is a systematic review conducted by searching three primary databases: the United States National Library of Medicine PubMed system, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. The databases were searched for articles published from database inception until May 2024; at the end of the selection process, 27 documents were included in the final analysis. The retrieved material identified 19 conditions of rehabilitative interest that potentially affect the postoperative course: graft dysfunction, dysphagia, postsurgical pain, cognitive impairment, chronic lung allograft dysfunction-bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, phrenic nerve injury, delayed extracorporeal membrane oxygenation weaning, airway clearance, refractory hypoxemia, mediastinitis, reduced oxidative capacity, sternal dehiscence, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), gastroparesis, ossification of the elbow, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, airway dehiscence, recurrent pleural effusion, and scapular prolapse. Although some patients are not amenable to rehabilitation techniques, others can significantly improve with rehabilitation.

Effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation on exercise capacity in adult patients with lung transplantation: a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis

Background

Lung transplantation (LTx) is a well-established option for patients in the end-stage of lung disease that is not responsive to other treatments. Although the survival rate after LTx has seen a significant increase, exercise tolerance is still limited and poses a big obstacle to recovery after LTx. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a comprehensive intervention that has many benefits for patients with chronic respiratory disease. However, the effectiveness of PR on adult patients with LTx is inconclusive. We performed this meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of PR in adult LTx recipients.

Methods

Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies published until March 25, 2024 were searched in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL. Additionally, reference lists and published systematic reviews were scanned by manual searching. Studies selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were conducted independently. Stata software (version 17.0) was utilized.

Results

There were 21 studies (9 RCTs and 12 quasi-experimental studies) were identified. Pooled analysis showed that PR positive effect in improving 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) [standard mean difference (SMD) =1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-1.50, P<0.001], maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) (SMD =0.42, 95% CI: 0.15-0.68, P=0.002), handgrip force (HGF) (SMD =0.49, 95% CI: 0.26-0.73, P<0.001), and quadriceps force (QF) (SMD =0.63, 95% CI: 0.45-0.82, P<0.001). There was no significant publication bias in those outcomes mentioned above.

Conclusions

PR shows evidence for being an effective adjunctive strategy for improving exercise capacity after LTx, but multi-center trials on larger populations are required to confirm its clinical benefits in the real-world setting.

Early Extubation: Who Qualifies Postoperatively in Lung Transplantation?

INTRODUCTION

Early extubation has been adopted in many settings within cardiothoracic surgery, with several advantages for patients. We sought to determine the association of timing of extubation in lung transplant recipients' short- and long-term outcomes.

METHODS

Adult, primary lung transplants were identified from the United Network for Organ Sharing database. Recipients were stratified based on the duration of postoperative ventilation: 1) None (NV); 2) <5 Days (<5D); and 3) 5+ Days (5+D). Comparative statistics were performed, and both unadjusted and adjusted survival were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier Methods and a Cox proportional hazard model. A multivariable model including recipient, donor, and transplant characteristics was created to examine factors associated with NV.

RESULTS

28,575 recipients were identified (NV = 960, <5D = 21,959, 5+D = 5656). The NV group had shorter median length of stay (P < 0.01) and lower incidence of postoperative dialysis (P < 0.01). The NV and <5D groups had similar survival, while 5+D recipients had decreased survival (P < 0.01). The multivariable model demonstrated increased donor BMI, center volume, ischemic time, single lung transplant, and transplantation between 2011 and 2015 were associated with NV (P < 0.01 for all). Use of donation after cardiac death donors and transplantation between 2016 and 2021 was associated with postoperative ventilator use.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients extubated early after lung transplantation have a shorter median length of stay without an associated increase in mortality. While not all patients are appropriate for earlier extubation, it is possible to extubate patients early following lung transplant. Further efforts are necessary to help expand this practice and ensure its' success for recipients.

Association of active mobilisation variables with adverse events and mortality in patients requiring mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Mobilisation during critical illness is now included in multiple clinical practice guidelines. However, a large, randomised trial and systematic review have recently identified an increased probability of adverse events and mortality in patients who received early active mobilisation in the intensive care unit (ICU). We aimed to determine the effects of mobilisation compared with usual care on adverse events and mortality in an acute ICU setting. In subgroup analyses, we specifically aimed to investigate possible sources of harm, including the timing and duration of mobilisation achieved, ventilation status, and admission diagnosis.

METHODS

In this systematic review with frequentist and Bayesian analyses, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and PEDro electronic databases, as well as clinical trial registries (ICTRP and ClinicalTrials.gov), from inception to March 16, 2023, without language restrictions. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials that examined active mobilisation compared with either no mobilisation or mobilisation commencing later, or at a lower frequency or intensity, in adults who were critically ill during or after a period of mechanical ventilation in an acute ICU setting. Two authors independently screened reports, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (version 1). The primary outcome was the number of adverse events that occurred during the implementation of mobilisation, with the effect of mobilisation on mortality being the secondary outcome. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs were calculated in R (version 4.0.3) using random-effects modelling, with Bayesian analysis completed to calculate the probability of treatment harm (ie, RR >1). Subgroup analyses were completed to investigate the association of various factors of mobilisation on adverse events and mortality: duration of mobilisation (longer [≥20 min per day] vs shorter [<20 min per day]), timing of commencement (early [≤72 h from ICU admission] vs late [>72 h from ICU admission]), ventilation status at commencement (all patients mechanically ventilated vs all patients extubated), and ICU admission diagnosis (surgical vs medical). This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022369272.

FINDINGS

After title and abstract screening of 14 440 studies and review of 466 full texts, 67 trials with 7004 participants met inclusion criteria, with 59 trials contributing to the meta-analysis. Of the 67 included studies, 15 (22%) did not mention adverse events and 13 (19%) reported no adverse events occurring across the trial period. Overall, we found no effect of mobilisation compared with usual care on the occurrence of adverse events (RR 1·09 [95% CI 0·69-1·74], p=0·71; I2 91%; 32 731 events, 20 studies; very low certainty), with a 2·96% occurrence rate (693 events in 23 395 intervention sessions; 25 studies). Mobilisation did not have any effect on mortality (RR 0·98 [95% CI 0·87-1·12], p=0·81; I2 0%; n=6218, 58 studies; moderate certainty). Subgroup analysis was hindered by the large amount of data that could not be allocated and analysed, making the results hypothesis generating only.

INTERPRETATION

Implementation of mobilisation in the ICU was associated with a less than 3% chance of an adverse event occurring and was not found to increase adverse events or mortality overall, providing reassurance for clinicians about the safety of performing this intervention. Subgroup analyses did not clearly identify any specific variable of mobilisation implementation that increased harm.

FUNDING

None.

Successfully physical therapy program for functional respiratory rehabilitation after lung transplant surgery - case report

The first lung transplant (LT) was made in Romania in 2018 at a 36-year-old male patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study follows the first LT rehabilitation by describing the physical therapy program (PTP), the measurements of body mass and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) by bio-impedancemetry analysis (BIA) and the functional capacity assessment realized by the six-minute walk test (6MWT) and by the functional respiratory tests (FRTs) in order to evaluate the effectiveness of functional respiratory rehabilitation in this case during a period of one year. In parallel, repeated transbronchial biopsies were performed after six weeks, three months, six months and one year since the transplant. Only the first biopsies showed injuries suggesting an acute rejection, all the rest revealing mild, unspecific lesions. The patient followed 15 sessions of respiratory exercises, joints mobilizations and progressive global muscle strength started one month after LT surgery and was also instructed to perform the exercises at home, using a tablet given at discharge and under monthly guidance through telemedicine. All the measurements were performed before and after the rehabilitation cure, and it was repeated at three different evaluations for one year. The results showed that at the end of follow-up, the 6MWT was significantly increased from 59% of predicted distance at the intake in post-acute hospitalization to 166% at one year after LT, without desaturation that represent a very good evolution; the FRTs increased to normal, and the body weight increased with 18 kg (from severe underweight to normal weight) with constant increasement of skeletal muscle mass. The use of PTP after LT surgery significantly improves functional capacity and increases body mass and skeletal muscle mass.

The efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation training program for patients after lung transplantation

Background

Pulmonary rehabilitation is recognized widely as one of the most effective measures to promote postoperative recovery of lung transplant recipients (LTRs), and it has positive effects on both short- and long-term quality of life (QoL) and survival outcomes. However, no standardized pulmonary rehabilitation training programs exist specifically for LTRs. The pulmonary rehabilitation programs widely used in clinical practice focus mainly on exercise or respiratory training, to some extent neglecting other therapeutic methods that could promote patient health, such as nutrition support, pain control, spiritual comfort, and so on. This study aimed to develop a postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation training program for LTRs and evaluate its effectiveness.

Methods

Using convenience sampling, all patients who underwent lung transplantation (LTx) at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a total of 68 patients were finally included in this study. A non-synchronous quasi-experimental design was used, with patients who underwent LTx in 2021 as the control group and patients who underwent LTx in 2022 as the experimental group. The control group received routine treatment, health education, and rehabilitation guidance when patients determined the date of surgery. In addition to this, the experimental group received pulmonary rehabilitation training. The incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (pulmonary infections), duration of chest tube drainage, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, postoperative pain scores, postoperative QoL, pulmonary function, oxygenation index, and the distance in the 6-minute walking test (6MWD) were compared between the two groups.

Results

The length of ICU stay and duration of chest tube drainage in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group, and the results of oxygenation index, 6MWD, and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (reflecting the QoL) were better than those of the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the pain of the two groups 1 week after surgery and 3 months after surgery, and the pain score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group at 1 month after surgery (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05).

Conclusions

The postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation training program for LTRs is safe and effective. It can shorten both the duration of chest tube drainage and ICU stay, it can also improve patients' exercise capacity and pulmonary function while also promote safety outcomes of LTRs, and improve QoL scores.

[Efficacy of Physiotherapy Interventions on the Respiratory Musculature Through Respiratory Training Techniques in Post-operative Lung Transplant Recipients: Systematic Review]

Introduction

Respiratory muscles are a limiter of exercise capacity in lung transplant patients. It is necessary to know the effectiveness of specific respiratory muscle training techniques carried out in the management of adult lung transplant patients in the postoperative period.

Methodology

A systematic review of clinical trials was carried out, which included adult lung transplant patients undergoing post-transplant respiratory training. A search was carried out in the databases PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library between January 2012 and September 2023, using the terms: "breathing exercise", "respiratory muscle training", "inspiratory muscle training", "respiratory exercise", "pulmonary rehabilitation", "lung rehabilitation"; in combination with "lung transplantation", "lung transplant", "posttransplant lung". No language limit.

Results

Eleven trials were included with a total of 639 patients analyzed. Most training programs begin upon hospital discharge (more than one month post-transplant), few do so early (Intensive Care Unit). The duration varies from 1-12 months post-transplant. The interventions were based on aerobic training and peripheral muscle strength. Some of them included breathing exercises and chest expansions. The most used outcome variable was submaximal exercise capacity measured with the 6-minute walk test.

Conclusions

Training the respiratory muscles of the adult transplant patient favors the improvement of exercise capacity and quality of life. Aerobic training, as well as strength training of the rest of the peripheral muscles, contribute to the improvement of respiratory muscles.

Physical rehabilitation, mobilization and patient-centred outcomes: what is new?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Physical rehabilitation and mobilization interventions aim to reduce the incidence of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness and subsequently reduce morbidity in critically ill patients. This chapter will explore the evidence for physical rehabilitation and mobilization with an emphasis on patient-centred outcomes selected in randomized controlled trials. This is particularly pertinent at a time when clinicians are deciding how to implement physical rehabilitation and mobilization into the treatment of critically ill patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Multiple trials of physical rehabilitation and mobilization were published in 2022 and 2023 with conflicting results. Analysing the complexities of physical rehabilitation research provides an insight into these results and will aid in the interpretation of trials of physical rehabilitation and mobilization.

SUMMARY

Patient-centred outcomes are often utilized in physical rehabilitation and mobilization research, but this does not automatically correspond to an increase in research quality. Improving consistency in trials of physical rehabilitation will aid in the interpretation and translation of physical rehabilitation research.