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Acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia often requires a comprehensive approach that includes non-pharmacological strategies such as non-invasive support (including positive pressure modes, high flow therapy or awake proning) in addition to oxygen therapy, with the primary goal of avoiding endotracheal intubation. Clinical issues such as determining the optimal time to initiate non-invasive support, choosing the most appropriate modality (based not only on the acute clinical picture but also on comorbidities), establishing criteria for recognition of treatment failure and strategies to follow in this setting (including palliative care), or implementing de-escalation procedures when improvement occurs are of paramount importance in the ongoing management of severe COVID-19 cases. Organizational issues, such as the most appropriate setting for management and monitoring of the severe COVID-19 patient or protective measures to prevent virus spread to healthcare workers in the presence of aerosol-generating procedures, should also be considered. While many early clinical guidelines during the pandemic were based on previous experience with acute respiratory distress syndrome, the landscape has evolved since then. Today, we have a wealth of high-quality studies that support evidence-based recommendations to address these complex issues. This document, the result of a collaborative effort between four leading scientific societies (SEDAR, SEMES, SEMICYUC, SEPAR), draws on the experience of 25 experts in the field to synthesize knowledge to address pertinent clinical questions and refine the approach to patient care in the face of the challenges posed by severe COVID-19 infection., (Copyright © 2024 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The objective of this study is to assess the failure of therapies with HFNO (high-flow nasal oxygen), CPAP, Bilevel, or combined therapy in patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 during their hospitalization., Methods: This was a retrospective and observational study of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients who required non-invasive respiratory support (NIRS) at the Reina Sofía General University Hospital of Murcia between March 2020 and May 2021., Results: Of 7355 patients, 197 (11.8%) were included; 95 of them failed this therapy (48.3%). We found that during hospitalization in the ward, the combined therapy of HFNO and CPAP had an overall lower failure rate and the highest treatment with Bilevel ( p = 0.005). In the comparison of failure in therapy without two levels of airway pressure, HFNO, CPAP, and combined therapy of HFNO with CPAP, (35.6% of patients) presented with 24.2% failure, compared to those who had two levels of pressure with Bilevel and combined therapy of HFNO with Bilevel (64.4% of patients), with 75.8% associated failure (OR: 0, 374; CI 95%: 0.203-0.688. p = 0.001)., Conclusions: The use of NIRS during conventional hospitalization is safe and effective in patients with respiratory failure secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The therapeutic strategy of Bilevel increases the probability of failure, with the combined therapy strategy of CPAP and HFNO being the most promising option.

Non-invasive respiratory support (NIRS) in adult, pediatric, and neonatal patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) comprises two treatment modalities, non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) and high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy. However, experts from different specialties disagree on the benefit of these techniques in different clinical settings. The objective of this consensus was to develop a series of good clinical practice recommendations for the application of non-invasive support in patients with ARF, endorsed by all scientific societies involved in the management of adult and pediatric/neonatal patients with ARF. To this end, the different societies involved were contacted, and they in turn appointed a group of 26 professionals with sufficient experience in the use of these techniques. Three face-to-face meetings were held to agree on recommendations (up to a total of 71) based on a literature review and the latest evidence associated with 3 categories: indications, monitoring and follow-up of NIRS. Finally, the experts from each scientific society involved voted telematically on each of the recommendations. To classify the degree of agreement, an analog classification system was chosen that was easy and intuitive to use and that clearly stated whether the each NIRS intervention should be applied, could be applied, or should not be applied., (Copyright © 2020 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To analyze factors related to the failure of noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) weaning in a hospital emergency department (ED)., Material and Methods: Prospective, observational cohort study with enrolled a sample of consecutive patients who required NIV during ED care. The dependent variable was NIV weaning failure, defined by the need to restart NIV in the ED after a first attempt to withdraw the respirator., Results: Of a total of 675 candidates, we included 360 patients (53.4%). Exclusions were 100 patients (31.7%) who were on NIV at home; 58 (18.4%) in whom NIV initially failed; and 157 (49.9%) in whom weaning was attempted outside the ED. Seventy-two (17.3%) cases of weaning failure in the ED were observed. Factors independently associated with failure were the bicarbonate (HCO3) concentrations before attempted weaning (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.12; P = .014), time on NIV in hours (aOR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16; P .001), and a pH less than 7.35 before weaning (aOR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.16-5.31; P = .019)., Conclusion: Weaning failure occurs in 17% of ED patients on NIV. Time on NIV, HCO3 concentration, and a pH less than 7.35 before weaning are independently associated with failure to wean from the respirator.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory tract infection caused by a newly emergent coronavirus, that was first recognized in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the infection as a global pandemic and there is a health and social emergency for the management of this new infection. While most people with COVID-19 develop only mild or uncomplicated illness, approximately 14% develop severe disease that requires hospitalization and oxygen support, and 5% require admission to an intensive care unit. In severe cases, COVID-19 can be complicated by the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis and septic shock, and multiorgan failure. This consensus document has been prepared on evidence-informed guidelines developed by a multidisciplinary panel of health care providers from four Spanish scientific societies (Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine [SEMICYUC], Spanish Society of Pulmonologists [SEPAR], Spanish Society of Emergency [SEMES], Spanish Society of Anesthesiology, Reanimation, and Pain [SEDAR]) with experience in the clinical management of patients with COVID-19 and other viral infections, including SARS, as well as sepsis and ARDS. The document provides clinical recommendations for the noninvasive respiratory support (noninvasive ventilation, high flow oxygen therapy with nasal cannula) in any patient with suspected or confirmed presentation of COVID-19 with acute respiratory failure. This consensus guidance should serve as a foundation for optimized supportive care to ensure the best possible chance for survival and to allow for reliable comparison of investigational therapeutic interventions as part of randomized controlled trials., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.)

We developed a prospective observational study, obtaining clinical and analytical data of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hospital Reina Sofía, who required noninvasive ventilation, from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015. The main objective was to determine the 90-day mortality in these patients and conditions, who required noninvasive ventilation as treatment for acute respiratory failure and who developed acute kidney injury. Acute renal failure was defined as an increase in serum creatinine > 0.3 mg/dl at 48 hours with respect to the baseline. The patients were followed for 90 days. We analyzed 221 patients, 65 (29.4%) presented acute kidney injury and 156 (70.6%) normal renal function. Overall mortality at 90 days was 44 (19.9%). In the group of acute kidneys injury, it was 33 (51.6%), being 11 (7.1%) in patients without acute kidney injury (RR 7.340, 95% CI: 3.974-13.559, p < 0.001). Hospital stay in days was 24.2 ± 24.1 with acute kidney injury vs. 21.5 ± 0.7, p = 0.429; stay in the intensive care unit in days was 10.9 ± 14.4 with acute kidney injury vs. 7.3 ± 9.6, p = 0.357, and days of non-invasive ventilation 3.4 ± 3.0 with acute kidney injury vs. 2.7 ± 1.9, p = 0.569, in those patients not affected by the presence of acute kidney injury. In conclusion, the presence of acute kidney injury is an independent factor of mortality in patients with acute respiratory failure requiring noninvasive ventilation.

Objectives: To develop a nomograph to predict a poor outcome (death during hospitalization or a hospital stay longer than 15 days) in emergency patients with sepsis and at low risk of organ damage according to Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA)., Material and Methods: Prospective, observational study carried out in a single universitary hospital. All patients admitted from the emergency department with sepsis and SOFA scores of 6 or lower were enrolled. We used bivariate logistic regression analysis to develop a predictive nomogram., Results: A total of 174 patients were included. Seventeen patients (9.8%) died during hospitalization and the average hospital stay was greater than 15 days in 29 (16.7%) patient. The outcome was poor in a total of 42 patients (24.1%);. Independent variables that were significantly associated with a poor outcome were SOFA score (odds ratio [OR], 1.3; 95% CI, 1.06-1.71; P<.05), C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.0-1.09; P<.05), N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration over 1330 ng/mL (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.17-6.22; P<.05), and septic shock (OR, 8.3; 95% CI, 1.16-166.5; P<.05). For a SOFA score of 2 or more the crude OR was 4.44 (95%, CI, 1.91-10.34) and the OR adjusted for other variables was 3.08 (95% CI, 1.24-7.69)., Conclusion: A high percentage of patients predicted to be at low risk of organ failure had poor outcomes, associated with SOFA score, the presence of septic shock, CRP concentration, and elevated NT-proBNP concentration. The SOFA score by itself is an inadequate prognostic tool in patients at low risk of organ damage. Other clinical and analytical variables are required to complement the SOFA score.

Objectives: To evaluate the correlation between variations in ultrasound-measured diaphragm movement and changes in the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) after the start of noninvasive ventilation (NIV)., Material and Methods: RDescriptive study of a prospective case series comprised of nonconsecutive patients aged 18 years or older with hypercapnic respiratory failure who were placed on NIV in an emergency department. We recorded clinical data, blood gas measurements, and ultrasound measurements of diaphragm movement., Results: Twenty-one patients with a mean (SD) age of 83 (13) years were studied; 11 (52.4%) were women. The mean (SD) range of diaphragm movement and PCO2 values at 4 moments were as follows: 1) at baseline: diaphragm movement, 13.90 (7.7) mm and PCO2, 71.75 (11.4) mm Hg; 2) after 15 minutes on NIV: diaphragm movement, 17.10 (9.1) mm; 3) at 1 hour: diaphragm movement, 22.40 (10.4) mm and PCO2, 63.45 (16.0) mm Hg; and 4) at 3 hours: diaphragm movement, 26.60 (19.5) mm and PCO2, 61.85 (13.0) mm Hg. We detected a statistically significant correlation between the difference in range of diaphragm movement at baseline and at 15 minutes and the decrease in PCO2 after 1 hour of NIV (r=-0.489, P=.035)., Conclusion: In patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure, the increase in range of diaphragm movement 15 minutes after starting NIV is associated with a decrease in PCO2 after 1 hour.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of headache following a transdural lumbar puncture and the risk factors involved., Patients and Methods: The method used was a prospective observation-based cohort study. Patients were recruited from the A and E Department, Neurology Service and Day Care Clinic. The following data were collected: physician's experience, number of punctures, variations in the plane, patient's posture, local anaesthetic, needle calibre and bevel, degrees of inclination, amount of liquid, fluid overload and whether or not rest is indicated after the puncture. After 48 hours, the appearance of headache (or not) was determined., Results: The sample consisted of 59 patients, 31 (52.5%) of whom were males. Mean age: 47 years; 32 patients (54.2%) came from A and E, 18 (30.5%) from Neurology and 9 (15.3%) from the Day Care Clinic. Forty-one (69.5%) received the lumbar puncture in a lateral decubitus position and 7 (11.9%) in a seated position. All the needles were bevelled, 21 (35.6%) with a calibre of 20 and 38 (64.4%) of calibre 22. Eight patients (13.56%) were without repose and 18 (33.3%) had no fluid overload. Twenty-three (38.98%) had post-lumbar-puncture headache, 12 (52.2%) of them females, with a mean age of 38.3 ± 16.4 years. The median of the headache intensity was 2.6. The mean time of appearance was seven hours. There were no differences for any of the factors studied, except the observed tendency towards a higher incidence of headache at younger ages., Conclusions: Rates of post-lumbar-puncture headache in our series are high, and no differences were found in terms of the service where it was performed or experience. No influence was observed due to the amount of liquid extracted, the patient's position, the indication of repose or fluid overload.

The benzodiazepines (BZD) are among the drugs most used by the population. Its contraindications include severe respiratory failure and sleep apnoea. The main objective of this work was to establish the relationship between the chronic use of benzodiazepines and hospital mortality and up to 30 days after admission. This study was carried out on a retrospective cohort of 243 patients admitted via emergency room into «Reina Sofia» University General Hospital in Murcia during the year 2011, and were selected for having been treated with non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) during their admission. The method used was a review of clinical histories by searching for the code corresponding to the NIV process. Overall mortality was 20.6%. In patients with chronic consumption of BZD it was 22.45% and 19.4% in patients who did not use these drugs (P=.608). We were unable to establish a significant relationship between chronic use of benzodiazepines and overall mortality figures. On the other hand, we have linked the increased mortality in patients treated with NIV for acute respiratory failure with other indicators such as, age above 75 years old, blood bicarbonate below 22mmol/L; lactic acid higher than 2mmol/L; serum creatinine above 1.5mg/dL, and sepsis., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)