Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of enrolled patients
| Characteristics | Total(n=82) | HFNC(n=39) | NIV(n=43) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male, n(%) | 54(65.9) | 24(61.5) | 30(69.8) | 0.645 |
| Age, years | 71.8±8.2 | 73.2±9.0 | 70.4±7.4 | 0.130 |
| History of COPD, years | 8 (6–11) | 9(6–12) | 8(6–10) | 0.216 |
| Comorbidities, n(%) | ||||
| Diabetes Mellitus | 22(26.8) | 9(23.1) | 13(30.2) | 0.824 |
| Hypertension | 46(56.1) | 21(53.8) | 25(58.1) | 0.696 |
| Coronary artery disease | 36(43.9) | 17(43.6) | 19(44.2) | 1.0 |
| Chronic liver disease | 7(8.5) | 4(10.3) | 3(7.0) | 0.703 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 22(26.8) | 9(23.1) | 13(30.2) | 0.618 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 13(15.9) | 7(17.9) | 6(14.0) | 0.764 |
| Malignancy | 9(11.0) | 4(10.3) | 5(11.6) | 1.0 |
| Medication before an exacerbation, n(%) | ||||
| Inhaled corticosteroids | 27(32.9) | 12(30.8) | 15(34.9) | 0.815 |
| Beta adrenoceptor agonist | 33(40.2) | 16(41.0) | 17(39.5) | 1.0 |
| Anticholinergics | 16(19.5) | 8(20.5) | 8(18.6) | 1.0 |
| Lung function test before an exacerbation (n=49)* | ||||
| FEV1,% | 46.8±15.2 | 47.7±15.9 | 45.9±14.9 | 0.682 |
| FEV1/FVC,% | 45.5±11.3 | 46.0±11.1 | 45.2±11.6 | 0.806 |
| Mean length from the acute attack to the admission to the ICU, days | 5(3–7) | 4(2–6) | 5(3–7) | 0.224 |
| On admission to ICU | ||||
| APACHE II score | 17.8±3.1 | 18.4±2.7 | 17.3±3.4 | 0.126 |
| SAPS II score | 33.4±6.1 | 34.8±5.9 | 32.2±6.0 | 0.053 |
| Arterial pH | 7.31(7.29–7.33) | 7.31(7.29–7.33) | 7.30(7.28–7.32) | 0.106 |
| Oxygen saturation, % | 89(86–91) | 89(84–91) | 89(87–90) | 0.514 |
| PaCO2, mm Hg | 58(54–62) | 56(53–62) | 59(55–62) | 0.088 |
| Mean arterial pressure, mm Hg | 89.2±6.7 | 88.3±5.9 | 90.0±7.4 | 0.251 |
| Heart rate, beats/min | 103.1±10.9 | 102.2±10.7 | 103.9±11.2 | 0.491 |
| Respiratory frequency,/min | 27.5±3.5 | 28.1±3.3 | 27.0±3.5 | 0.142 |
| PaO2/FiO2, mm Hg | 139.2±6.7 | 138.2±6.6 | 140.1±6.6 | 0.189 |
| With pneumonia, n(%) | 34(41.4) | 14(35.9) | 20(46.5) | 0.375 |
Notes: *23 cases in the HFNC group and 26 cases in the NIV group. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation, number (%) patients, or median (interquartile range).
Abbreviations: HFNC, High flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy; NIV, Non-invasive ventilation; COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ICU, intensive care unit; APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; SAPS II, Simplified acute physiology score II; PaCO2, arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure; PaO2, arterial oxygen partial pressure.