PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Dragos Bumbacea
AU  - Nicoleta Filip
AU  - Claudia Valcu
AU  - Diana Radu
AU  - Daniela Caciuloiu
AU  - Irina Ispas
AU  - Diana Ligia Ionita
AU  - Cornelia Elena Tudose
TI  - Outcome of non-invasive ventilation in acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in the elderly
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P2958
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2958.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2958.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Aim: To evaluate the outcome of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in older patients.Methods: Consecutive patients presenting at the emergency room of a general hospital in 2012-2013 with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure and treated in the respiratory ward with NIV through an oronasal or full facial mask. Outcomes were compared in older (≥ 70 years old) vs younger patients.Results: 63 patients were included, 28 being 70 years old or older (OLD, age range 70-92) and 35 younger (YOU, age range 28-69). There was a non-significant tendency versus more women (61% vs 40%) and worse previous performance status score (2.8±1.0 vs 2.2±1.3) in older group. Initial blood gases results were similar, as were those after 4-6 hours of NIV and at discharge (see table, p>0.05 for all comparisons between groups), with significant improvements in PaCO2 and pH in both groups. There were no major differences in cause of respiratory failure (COPD exacerbation in 17/28 and 23/35 respectively), outcome of NIV (5 failures in each group) length of stay (7.9±5.4 vs 7.7±6.7) and in-hospital death (5 in each group) (p>0.05 for all comparisons). Analysis using a cut-off of 65 yo (39 OLD vs 24 YOU patients) did yield similar results.Conclusion: In this population non-invasive ventilation in a respiratory ward proved to be similarly efficient in older people than in younger ones.View this table: