Table 1.
Baseline patient characteristics
| NIV (n = 92) | HFNC (n = 90) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), y | 60.9 (14.3) | 59.9 (15.4) |
| Men, n (%) | 67 (72.8) | 50 (55.6) |
| APACHE II at ICU admission, median (IQR)a | 19 (16.3–24) | 19 (15–23) |
| Length of MV before extubation, median (IQR), days | 4.5 (2–9) | 5.5 (2–10) |
| Comorbiditiesb, n (%) | ||
| Heart disease | 38 (41.3) | 22 (24.4) |
| COPD | 27 (29.3) | 11 (12.2) |
| Other respiratory disease | 46 (50) | 30 (33.3) |
| High-risk factors for reintubation, no (%) | ||
| Age > 65 y | 42 (45.7) | 41 (45.6) |
| Heart failure as primary indication for MV | 25 (27.2) | 6 (6.7) |
| COPD | 28 (30.4) | 14 (15.6) |
| APACHE II > 12 on extubation daya | 53 (57.6) | 56 (62.2) |
| Body mass index > 30c | 49 (53.3) | 46 (51.1) |
| Airway patency problems | 33 (35.9) | 31 (34.4) |
| Inability to deal with respiratory secretions | 31 (33.7) | 47 (52.2) |
| Difficult or prolonged weaningd | 60 (66.7) | 59 (64.1) |
| ≥ 2 comorbidities | 75 (81.5) | 61 (67.8) |
| Prolonged MV | 36 (39.1) | 43 (47.8) |
| Hypercapnia at the end of the SBT | 47 (51.1) | 27 (30) |
| High-risk factors, median (IQR) | 5 (4–6) | 4 (4–6) |
| Diagnosis at admissione | ||
| Respiratory primary failure | 59 (64.8) | 49 (54.4) |
| SARS COVID-19f | 12 (13.1) | 15 (16.7) |
| Hemodynamic failure | 53 (57.6) | 57 (63.3) |
| Neurologic failure | 44 (47.8) | 57 (63.3) |
| Trauma | 15 (16.3) | 15 (16.7) |
| Surgical | 19 (20.7) | 28 (31.1) |
| Baseline physiologic variables at the end of the SBT prior to extubation, mean (SD) | ||
| PaO2, mm Hg | 116.2 (41.1) | 102.7 (34.8) |
| FiO2, % | 38.8 (7) | 38.9 (5.1) |
| PaCO2, mm Hg | 44.2 (8.6) | 41.6 (6.9) |
| Arterial pH | 7.39 (0.2) | 7.42 (0.06) |
| Respiratory rate, breaths/min | 15.6 (4.1) | 16.9 (3.6) |
APACHE II acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II; COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HFNC high-flow nasal cannula; ICU intensive care unit; IQR interquartile range; MV mechanical ventilation; NIV noninvasive ventilation; SARS COVID-19 severe acute respiratory syndrome secondary to coronavirus disease 2019; SBT spontaneous breathing trial; SD standard deviation
aAPACHE II score was calculated from 17 variables. Scores range from 0 to 71 points, with higher scores indicating more severe disease
bComorbidities were categorized based on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (eAppendix 3 in online supplement). Fully detailed in Table S1
cCalculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared
dDefinitions according to the Sixth International Consensus Conference on Intensive Care Medicine [18]
ePatients can have more than one diagnosis. All diagnoses detailed in Table S1
fSevere hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia