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BACKGROUND: Obesity-hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is defined as the combination of obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m²) and daytime arterial hypercapnia (PaCO2 > 45 mm Hg) in the absence of other causes of hypoventilation, and can lead to acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in the ICU. Our objective was to describe the ventilatory management and outcomes of subjects with OHS who were admitted to the ICU for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. METHODS: We retrospectively built a cohort of subjects with OHS who were admitted for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in 4 ICUs of the university teaching hospital in Lyon, France, between 2013 and 2017. The main end point was the rate of success of noninvasive ventilation (NIV). Secondary end points were survival from OHS diagnosis to the last follow-up and risk factors for ICU admission and long-term survival. RESULTS: One hundred fifteen subjects with OHS were included. Thirty- seven subjects (32.1%) were admitted to the ICU for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. Con- gestive heart failure was the leading cause of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (54%). At ICU admission, pH before NIV use was median (range) 7.26 (7.22-7.31) and ... was 70 (61-76) mm Hg. NIV was used as first-line ventilatory support in 36 subjects (97.2%) and was successful in 33 subjects (91.7%). ICU mortality was low (2.7%). The subjects admitted to the ICU were significantly older and had a lower FEV1 and vital capacity at the time of an OHS diagnosis. The difference in the restricted mean survival time was 663 d in favor of subjects not admitted to the ICU. Multivariate analysis showed that lower vital capacity at an OHS diagnosis was significantly associated with a higher risk of ICU admission. No factor was independently associated with long-term overall mortality in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in subjects with OHS was generally responsive to NIV and was frequently associated with congestive heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the emergency setting to reverse hypercapnic coma in frail patients with end-stage chronic respiratory failure and do-not-intubate orders remains a questionable issue given the poor outcome of this vulnerable population. We aimed to answer this issue by assessing not only subjects' outcome with NIV but also subjects' point of view regarding NIV for this indication. METHODS: A prospective observational case-control study was conducted in 3 French tertiary care hospitals during a 2-y period. Forty-three individuals who were comatose (with pH < 7.25 and PaCO2 > 100 mm Hg at admission) were compared with 43 subjects who were not comatose and who were treated with NIV for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. NIV was applied by using the same protocol in both groups. They all had a do-notintubate order and were considered vulnerable individuals with end-stage chronic respiratory failure according to well-validated scores. RESULTS: NIV yielded similar outcomes in the 2 groups regarding in-hospital mortality (n = 12 [28%] vs n = 12 [28%] in the noncomatose controls, P > .99) and 6-month survival (n = 28 [65%] vs n = 22 [51%] in the noncomatose controls, P = .31). Despite poor quality of life scores (21.5 ± 10 vs 31 ± 6 in the awakened controls, P = .056) as assessed by using the VQ11 questionnaire 6 months to 1 y after hospital discharge, a large majority of the survivors (n = 23 [85%]) would be willing to receive NIV again if a new episode of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure occurs. CONCLUSIONS: In the frailest subjects with supposed end-stage chronic respiratory failure that justifies treatment limitation decisions, it is worth trying NIV when acute hypercapnic respiratory failure occurs, even in the case of extreme respiratory acidosis with hypercapnic coma at admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is a major worldwide public health issue. The main respiratory complication stemming from obesity is obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). Most of the OHS patients diagnosed during an exacerbation are treated with non invasive ventilation (NIV). Up to date, no prospective study has demonstrated in real life conditions the feasibility of a systematic protocoled switch of NIV to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), once stability is achieved.Methods: In this prospective study, we included stable patients with OHS, with moderate to severe concomitant obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and without obstructive pulmonary disease, who had been undergoing NIV for more than 2 months. The following measurements were performed, first with NIV and then after the switch to CPAP: diurnal arterial blood gas measurements; nocturnal oximetry and capnometry; mean compliance and AHI; measures of quality of life and quality of sleep.Results: 22/30 patients accepted to participate in the study and 15/22 patients completed the study. There were no significant differences for pooled data in diurnal alveolar blood gases, nocturnal capnometry (p = 0.534), nocturnal oximetry (p = 0.218), mean compliance (p = 0.766), mean AHI (p = 0.334), quality of life or quality of sleep. Eighty percent of the patients treated in this study favored CPAP over NIV.Conclusion: This pilot study showed in real life conditions the possibility of a systematic switch of NIV to CPAP, in most stable patients with OHS, with similar efficacy on diurnal and nocturnal alveolar gas exchange, quality of life and quality of sleep.Trial Registration: ISRCTN13981084 . Registered: 27 February 2017 (retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]