title: Efficacy of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in elderly patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been no reports on the efficacy of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in elderly patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to clarify the efficacy and identify the predictors of a successful outcome of NPPV in patients over the age of 75 years with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the data of 42 patients (21 men) with AHRF who were treated at our unit. The patients were divided into survivor and nonsurvivor groups, and the clinical parameters measured prior to the initiation of NPPV were compared between the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 83.0 ± 6.3 years. The etiology of the respiratory failure was acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 19 patients, acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema in 18 patients, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 3 patients, sequelae of tuberculosis in 1 patient, and asthma in 1 patient. Of the 42 patients, 33 (78.6%) survived. All patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≥9 and/or an APACHE II score <29 survived after the initiation of NPPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An APACHE II score <29 and a GCS score ≥9 were predictors of a successful outcome of NPPV in elderly people.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Kainan Municipal Hospital, Kainan, Japan. yofactory@yahoo.co.jp
authors: Yohei
authors: Y
authors: Kida
authors: Yoshiaki
authors: Y
authors: Minakata
authors: Yoichi
authors: Y
authors: Yamada
authors: Masakazu
authors: M
authors: Ichinose
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000150:complications; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D056152:Respiratory Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies