Active clinical trials for "Respiratory Insufficiency"

A randomised study to assess the effectiveness of ambulatory adaptation to non-invasive mechanical ventilation in patient with hypercapnic respiratory failure secondary to neuromuscular diseases or alterations in thoracic cage in comparison with hospital adaptation.

The prevalence of chronic respiratory failure (CRF) is increasing worldwide and will become the 3rd cause of death by 2020. At the stage of the disease requiring ventilatory assistance, this relates to 50,000 patients in France, life expectancy is very limited, and quality of life is poor. CRF led to a reduction in muscle mass, which is found in 35 and 55% of patients, in some to a profound cachexia. A reduced fat free mass (FFM) is a factor associated with a poor tolerance to exercise and an halved survival. The exact causes and mechanisms leading to cachexia are not yet established. Recently, a chronic inflammatory condition has been quoted as a putative cause. This chronic inflammation would involve the molecular mechanisms leading to poor regulation of the balance of synthesis / protein degradation in muscle. A decrease in plasma and muscle amino acids was found among patients with a low FFM.. In addition, a decrease of plasma levels of some anabolic hormones, GH and androgens or IGF-1 has been found that could explain a lack of protein synthesis. It is now well established that respiratory rehabilitation, including a program of exercise reconditioning, increases tolerance to exercise and improve the quality of life. Besides the classical type of endurance exercises stimulating the cardio-respiratory system, it is suggested to add resistance exercises. Several studies have reported the benefit of this strategy but the link with intracellular molecular pathways has not been described; moreover, it is unknown whether the existence of an initial muscular atrophy influences the gain in muscle strength/mass.

Chronic respiratory insufficiency and COPD are the third leading cause of death worldwide. Patients decompensate at various stages of their disease and exhibit acute-on-chronic respiratory failure (ACRF), a frequent cause of ICU hospitalization for hypercapnic acute respiratory failure (ARF). Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is the first line ventilatory treatment for hypercapnic ARF. It is applied intermittently, separated by periods of spontaneous breathing (SB) with standard oxygen (O2). Standard O2 has drawbacks that limit the benefit of intermittent NIV in hypercapnic ARF: limited gas flow which is well below the patient's inspiratory flow rate, limited capacity and efficiency of oxygenation with non-controlled FiO2 (risk of excessive oxygen and induced hypercapnia), and cold and dry gas leading to discomfort and under-humidification of the airways and tracheobronchial secretions. Benefits in terms of work of breathing and CO2 removal resulting from PEEP and pressure support applied during NIV periods could be rapidly lost during standard O2. Recently, use of high-flow heated and humidified nasal oxygen therapy (HFHO) has gained enthusiasm among intensivists to manage ARF. HFHO delivers high flows (up to 60L/min, that generate moderate PEEP) of heated and humidified oxygen at a controlled and adjustable FiO2 (21 to 100%) that rapidly improve respiratory distress symptoms, oxygenation, respiratory comfort and outcome of patients with hypoxemic ARF. These unique features of HFHO could overcome some of the drawbacks of standard O2 during SB periods in hypercapnic ARF. Indeed, PEEP effect, washout of nasopharyngeal dead-space limiting CO2 re-breathing and inspired gas conditioning preserving adequate mucosal function and secretion removal, could potentially contribute to decrease airways resistance, intrinsic PEEP and work of breathing, while improving patient comfort. Investigators aim to determine if the use of HFHO, as compared to standard O2, increases the number of ventilator-free days (VFDs) and alive at day 28 in patients with hypercapnic ARF admitted in an ICU, an intermediate care, or a respiratory care unit, and requiring NIV.

Every day many patients affected by chronic life-limiting illnesses are admitted into Internal Medicine wards, coming from the Emergency Department. Many studies suggest that providing palliative care to these patients may improve their end-of-life care while reducing costs by minimizing futile treatments and unwanted intensive care unit admissions. Consequently, there is a strong need for acute care hospitals to more vigorously identify patients entering the final phase of their lives as well as their specific care needs. In a previous study the investigators screened for need of palliative care patients affected by progressive chronic diseases by means of a tool, based on the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation, and Intensive Care - SIAARTI - position paper reporting criteria for patients with end-stage chronic organ failures, and on the specific clinical indicators elaborated by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) for patients with locally advanced/metastatic cancer. In a further pilot study, the investigators compared the outcomes of PC patients depending on whether the palliative care team evaluated such patients only if requested by the physician staff or routinely, irrespectively of a specific request, finding a significant increase of discharges after the activation of an appropriate PC service or scheduled PC ambulatory visit. In the present study the investigators enroll chronically ill patients admitted to an Internal Medicine Unit from the Emergency Department, to be screened for palliative care need, using the previously cited SIAARTI/NCCN screening tool (Extended Screening Tool - EST), or using a Simplified Screening Tool (SST), derived from the first instrument, which preliminary showed a superimposable efficacy. This latter tool has advantages related to much more shortness and therefore simplicity in the administration to a seriously ill patient and is much less time consuming, allowing the physician to use it routinely. The aim of the study is to verify the accuracy of the SST in identifying chronically ill patients in need of a PC approach, in comparison to the SIAARTI/NCCN tool (EST). If the SST would show good accuracy, an easily manageable tool for the assessment of PC needs in chronically ill patients would be available for the daily routine.

This is a single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of high-flow nasal cannula with a flow rate of 60 L/min versus 40 L/min after planned extubationon on a composite outcome of reintubation and use of NIV.

The purpose of this single-centered, proof of concept study is to determine whether it is feasible to perform a phrenic nerve block to reduce diaphragm electrical activity and, therefore, inspiratory effort and if such block reduces self-inflicted lung injury on patients under mechanical ventilation on spontaneous breathing. Ten patients will be monitored with electrical impedance tomography, NAVA catheter, and esophageal balloon. Using a nerve stimulator and an ultrasound, we will identify the phrenic nerve on its cervical portion bilaterally and administer perineural low-dose lidocaine. Diaphragm electrical activity, transpulmonary pressure and data on ventilation distribution will be continuously collected. The study will be over once the patient presents the same diaphragm electrical activity and transpulmonary pressure as before the phrenic nerve block.

This study compares the short-term effects of a new humidification system (Hygrovent Gold) and two other humidification devices (heated and moisture exchanger and heated humidifier) on respiratory pattern and work of breathing, during invasive ventilation.

With the increasing aging population demographics and life expectancies, the number of very elderly patients undergoing surgery is rising. Elderly patients constitute an increasingly large proportion of the high-risk surgical group. Cardiac complications and postoperative pulmonary complications are equally prevalent and contribute similarly to morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Specific optimization strategy of general anesthesia has been tested in high-risk patients undergoing major surgery to improve outcomes. Our hypothesis is that a combined optimization strategy of anesthesia concerning hemodynamic, ventilation, and depth of anesthesia may improve short- and long- term outcome in elderly undergoing high risk surgery.

The use of non-invasive methods of respiratory support to reduce complications of prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation in preterm infants has increased. The most common mode is nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation (NIMV). In NIMV, the interval between mechanical breaths is fixed and is determined by the frequency dialed by the clinician. Asynchrony between the infant's spontaneous breathing may exist since mechanical breaths delivered at fixed intervals can occur at different times over the inspiratory or expiratory phases of the infant's spontaneous breathing. Synchronized-NIMV is a mode similar to NIMV where the ventilator cycle is delivered in synchrony with the infant's spontaneous inspiration. This has been achieved by using techniques to detect the infant's spontaneous inspiration. The advantages or disadvantages of synchronized compared to non-synchronized NIMV remain to be determined. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of synchronized NIMV versus non-synchronized NIMV on ventilation and gas exchange in premature infants who require supplemental oxygen. The hypothesis is that the use of flow synchronized nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation (S-NIMV) in comparison to non-synchronized NIMV will improve ventilation and gas exchange and reduce breathing effort. The objective of the study is to compare the effect of flow synchronized-NIMV to non-synchronized-NIMV on tidal volume (VT), minute ventilation (VE), gas exchange, breathing effort, apnea and chest wall distortion in preterm neonates with lung disease.

Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) is a new mode of mechanical ventilation that is controlled by the electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi). The EAdi is a signal that represents the patient's breathing effort, and hence with NAVA, the assist being delivered is synchronized and proportional to the demands of the patient. This is a prospective physiological study of the feasibility of NAVA ventilation over 24 hours. The aim is to demonstrate that NAVA can maintain spontaneous breathing and unload the respiratory muscles during both sleep and wake cycles over a 24 hour period.