title: Non-invasive ventilation in elderly patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  older patients usually receive less invasive and costly hospital care, even if they meet the criteria for Intensive Care Unit admission or have a 'do not intubate'(DNI) order. The aim of this randomised, controlled trial was to assess the effectiveness of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) versus the standard medical therapy (SMT) in reducing the need of intubation, improving survival and reducing respiratory distress in very old patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF).
  
  
  METHODS
  eighty-two patients aged >75 years (mean age 81.3 ± 3.5 years) were randomised to receive NIV or SMT.
  
  
  METHODS
  three respiratory units.
  
  
  METHODS
  the primary outcome was the rate of meeting the endotracheal intubation (ETI) criteria. Secondary outcomes were the mortality rate, the respiratory rate, dyspnoea score, arterial blood gases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the rate of meeting the ETI criteria was lower in the NIV group compared with the SMT group (7.3 versus 63.4%, respectively; P < 0.001), as was the mortality rate [(odds ratios) OR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.19-0.83; P = 0.014]. Twenty-two of 41 SMT patients with DNI orders received NIV as a rescue therapy. The mortality rate in this subgroup was comparable with the NIV group and significantly lower compared with patients receiving ETI (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.18-1.92 versus 4.03, 95% CI: 2.35-6.94, respectively; P = 0.009). Arterial blood gases, respiratory rate and dyspnoea improved significantly faster with NIV than with SMT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  compared with SMT, NIV decreased the rate of meeting the ETI criteria and the mortality rate of very old patients with AHRF. NIV should be offered as an alternative to patients considered poor candidates for intubation and those with a DNI order.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory and Critical Care Unit, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy. stefano.nava@aosp.bo.it
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nava
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fanfulla
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Domenighetti
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carlucci
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perren
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dell'Orso
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitacca
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ceriana
authors.forename: Zuhal
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Karakurt
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clini
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D056152:Respiratory Rate; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen