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Objective: To determine the usefulness of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in elderly patients (≥75) admitted to a respiratory monitoring unit (RMU) during hospitalization and 1 year later in comparison with the results from the younger age group (<75)., Material and Methods: Ours is a prospective observational study carried out at the Hospital Universitario La Princesa (Madrid, Spain). We recruited all patients who were ≥75 years old and were admitted to our RMU during the period 2008-2009 with respiratory acidosis (pH<7.35 and PaCO(2)>45 mmHg) requiring NIV. We gathered data for basic variables as well as sociodemographics, history of previous pathologies, reason for hospitalization and severity, analysis upon admission and the evolution of blood gases at the start of NIV (within the first hour and after 24 h), complications and evolution at the 1-year follow-up., Results: Mean age of the sample was 80.6. The Charlson index was 3.27. About half of the patients had some limitation for performing daily activities. The main reasons for admission were COPD exacerbation and heart failure. There were complications in 36% of the cases (11 renal failure and 6 atrial fibrillation). The survival rate at the 1-year follow-up was 63.21%., Conclusions: NIV is a good alternative in elderly patients admitted to the hospital with respiratory acidosis. We did not detect differences in mortality during admission between the two groups. The elderly patients were more frequently re-admitted than the younger group in the 6-12 months after hospital discharge. This could be due to their poorer functional state after hospitalization requiring NIV., (Copyright © 2012 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Background: Metabolic alkalosis usually complicates the evolution of patients with hypercapnia under diuretic or steroid therapy. The objective of this study was to analyze the efficiency of therapy with acetazolamide, a reversible carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, in this condition., Patients and Methods: Prospective study conducted at our hospital from June 1994 to March 1996, with 45 patients who had chronic respiratory acidosis and metabolic alkalosis. After a previous stabilization of the patient and eventually the discontinuation of diuretic or corticosteroid drugs fro 24-48 hours, 500 or 750 mg of acetazolamide were administered daily for 48 hours. Later, variations both in arterial gasometry and venous electrolytes were analyzed by comparing two means of paired data., Results: After therapy with acetazolamide a clinical improvement was observed in patients, a decrease in PaCO2, pH and CO3H (p < 0.001) and an increase in PaO2 (p < 0.001). Hypochloremia (82.2%) and hypopotassemia (33.3%) were the most common electrolytic abnormalities before therapy. Both abnormalities improved significantly after the administration of acetazolamide. In five patients (11.1%) acetazolamide was discontinued when metabolic acidosis appeared, which only in three cases was associated with acidemia. No secondary effects were observed., Conclusions: Acetazolamide is an efficient alternative for treatment of patients with respiratory acidosis and metabolic alkalosis, particularly when other more common measures in this condition (discontinuation of diuretics and/or volemic replacement) have failed or are contraindicated. On the other hand, the emergence of relevant secondary effects is unlikely.