INTRODUCTION: Singapore was one of the first countries affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic but has been able to prevent its healthcare system and intensive care units (ICU) from being overwhelmed. We describe the clinical features, management and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure admitted to our ICU. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case series of COVID-19 patients admitted to our ICU for respiratory failure from 7 February, with data censoring at 30 June 2020, was performed from a review of medical records. RESULTS: Twenty-two COVID-19 patients were admitted to our ICU for respiratory failure. The median age was 54.5 years (IQR 30-45.5), 72.7% were male and had at least one comorbidity. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores were 2.5 (IQR 1.25-7) and 10 (8.25-12) respectively. Thirteen patients required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and had a median PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 194 mmHg (IQR 173-213) after intubation. The 28-day survival was 100%, with 2 patients demising subsequently. The overall ICU mortality rate was 9.1% at the time of data censoring. In IMV survivors, length of IMV and ICU stay were 11 days (IQR 9-17.75) and 16 days (IQR 12-32) respectively. CONCLUSION Low COVID-19 ICU mortality was observed in our "pandemic-ready" ICU. This was achieved by having adequate surge capacity to facilitate early ICU admission and IMV, lung protective ventilation, and slow weaning. Being able to maintain clinical standards and evidence-based practices without having to resort to rationing contributed to better outcomes.
APACHE ; Adult ; Aged ; Betacoronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; mortality ; therapy ; Critical Care ; organization & administration ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; mortality ; therapy ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; mortality ; therapy ; virology ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore

Acute exacerbation(s) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) tend to be critical and debilitating events leading to poorer outcomes in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment modalities, and contribute to a higher and earlier mortality rate in COPD patients. Besides pro-active preventative measures intended to obviate acquisition of AECOPD, early recovery from severe AECOPD is an important issue in determining the long-term prognosis of patients diagnosed with COPD. Updated GOLD guidelines and recently published American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society clinical recommendations emphasize the importance of use of pharmacologic treatment including bronchodilators, systemic steroids and/or antibiotics. As a non-pharmacologic strategy to combat the effects of AECOPD, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is recommended as the treatment of choice as this therapy is thought to be most effective in reducing intubation risk in patients diagnosed with AECOPD with acute respiratory failure. Recently, a few adjunctive modalities, including NIV with helmet and helium-oxygen mixture, have been tried in cases of AECOPD with respiratory failure. As yet, insufficient documentation exists to permit recommendation of this therapy without qualification. Although there are too few findings, as yet, to allow for regular andr routine application of those modalities in AECOPD, there is anecdotal evidence to indicate both mechanical and physiological benefits connected with this therapy. High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy is another supportive strategy which serves to improve the symptoms of hypoxic respiratory failure. The therapy also produced improvement in ventilatory variables, and it may be successfully applied in cases of hypercapnic respiratory failure. Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal has been successfully attempted in cases of adult respiratory distress syndrome, with protective hypercapnic ventilatory strategy. Nowadays, it is reported that it was also effective in reducing intubation in AECOPD with hypercapnic respiratory failure. Despite the apparent need for more supporting evidence, efforts to improve efficacy of NIV have continued unabated. It is anticipated that these efforts will, over time, serve toprogressively decrease the risk of intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation in cases of AECOPD with acute respiratory failure.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bronchodilator Agents ; Carbon Dioxide ; Catheters ; Head Protective Devices ; Humans ; Intubation ; Mortality ; Noninvasive Ventilation ; Oxygen ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Steroids

Pulmonary contusion complicated with endobronchial hemorrhage is potentially life-threatening, particularly in patients with tracheobronchial tree disruption and severe airway bleeding after blunt trauma, and pose a high mortality risk. In such cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be used as a salvage treatment modality. However, the use of ECMO for moribund trauma patients with respiratory failure may be limited for several reasons, such as intractable bleeding. In this case report, we describe a patient with severe bilateral pulmonary contusions with tracheobronchial tree disruption that was successfully treated using heparin-free venovenous ECMO.
Bronchi ; Contusions* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation* ; Hemorrhage ; Heparin ; Humans ; Lung Injury ; Mortality ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Salvage Therapy ; Trees

INTRODUCTIONThis study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with mortality in haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients admitted to our paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) over an 8-year period.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA retrospective chart review was conducted of all HSCT patients requiring PICU admission at our centre (a tertiary care university hospital in Singapore) from January 2002 to December 2010. Chief outcome measures were survival at the time of PICU discharge and survival at 6 months after initial PICU admission.

RESULTSNinety-eight patients underwent HSCT during this period; 18 patients (18%) required 24 PICU admissions post-HSCT. The overall survival to PICU discharge was 62.5%. Of those who survived discharge from the PICU, 33% died within 6 months of discharge. Non-survivors to PICU discharge had a higher incidence of sepsis (89% vs 33%,= 0.013) and organ failure as compared to survivors (cardiovascular failure 100% vs 20%,= 0.0003; respiratory failure 89% vs 20%,= 0.002; and renal failure 44% vs 7%,= 0.047). Mortality rates were higher in patients requiring mechanical ventilation (70% vs 14%,= 0.010) and inotropic support (70% vs 14%,= 0.010). Mortality in all patients with renal failure requiring haemodialysis (n = 4) was 100%. Presence of 3 or more organ failures was associated with 80% mortality (= 0.003).

CONCLUSIONSepsis, multiple organ failure and the need for mechanical ventilation, inotropes and especially haemodialysis were associated with increased risk of mortality in our cohort of HSCT patients.

Adolescent ; Cardiotonic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Infant ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; Male ; Multiple Organ Failure ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Prognosis ; Renal Dialysis ; statistics & numerical data ; Renal Insufficiency ; epidemiology ; mortality ; therapy ; Respiration, Artificial ; statistics & numerical data ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; epidemiology ; mortality ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Singapore ; epidemiology

PURPOSE: The efficacy of helmet continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (hARF) remains unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis was to critically review studies that investigated the effect of helmet CPAP on gas exchange, mortality, and intubation rate in comparison with standard oxygen therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by searching the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, OVID, and CBM databases, and the bibliographies of the retrieved articles. Studies that enrolled adults with hARF who were treated with helmet CPAP and measured at least one of the following parameters were included: gas exchange, intubation rate, in-hospital mortality rate. RESULTS: Four studies with 377 subjects met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Compared to the standard oxygen therapy, helmet CPAP significantly increased the PaO2/FiO2 [weighted mean difference (WMD)=73.40, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 43.92 to 102.87, p<0.00001], and decreased the arterial carbon dioxide levels (WMD=-1.92, 95% CI: -3.21 to -0.63, p=0.003), intubation rate [relative risk (RR)=0.21, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.40, p<0.00001], and in-hospital mortality rate (RR=0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.50, p=0.0004). CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that helmet CPAP improves oxygenation and reduces mortality and intubation rates in hARF. However, the significant clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the literature implies that large RCTs are needed to determine the role of helmet CPAP in different hypoxemic ARF populations.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; *Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; *Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Respiratory Insufficiency/mortality/*therapy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Post-extubation respiratory failure (PERF) is associated with poor clinica l outcomes. High-f low nasa l cannula (HF NC) ox ygen therapy has been used in patients with respiratory failure, but the clinical benefit in patients with PERF remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of HFNC compared to noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in patients with PERF. METHODS: A historic retrospective cohort analysis was performed in 28 beds in the medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a single medical center in South Korea. In total, 73 patients with PERF were enrolled: 39 patients who underwent NIV from April 2007 to March 2009 and 34 patients who received HFNC from April 2009 to May 2011. RESULTS: The rate of avoidance of reintubation was not different between the HFNC group (79.4%) and NIV group (66.7%, p = 0.22). All patients with HFNC tolerated the device, whereas five of those with NIV did not tolerate treatment (p = 0.057). The mean duration of ICU stay was significantly shorter in the HFNC group than in the NIV group (13.4 days vs. 20.6 days, p = 0.015). There was no difference in ICU or in-hospital mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS: HFNC is likely to be as effective as, and better tolerated than, NIV for treatment of PERF.
Administration, Inhalation ; Aged ; Airway Extubation/*adverse effects/mortality ; *Cannula ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Noninvasive Ventilation/adverse effects ; Oxygen/*administration & dosage ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy/adverse effects/*instrumentation/mortality ; Republic of Korea ; Respiratory Insufficiency/diagnosis/etiology/mortality/*therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Pnuemocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is one of leading causes of acute respiratory failure in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the mortality rate remains high in mechanically ventilated HIV patients with PJP. There are several reported cases who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment for respiratory failure associated with severe PJP in HIV-infected patients. We report a patient who was newly diagnosed with HIV and PJP whose condition worsened after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation and progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring veno-venous ECMO. The patient recovered from PJP and is undergoing treatment with HAART. ECMO support can be an effective life-saving salvage therapy for acute respiratory failure refractory to mechanical ventilation following HAART in HIV-infected patients with severe PJP.
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation* ; HIV ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pneumocystis jirovecii* ; Pneumocystis* ; Pneumonia* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Salvage Therapy

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is an uncommon complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and mortality remains high. In recent years, cases of DAH due to SLE treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have rarely been reported. The authors present a case of a 43-year-old woman with SLE who had rapidly aggravating dyspnea and hemoptysis. She was diagnosed as having DAH with refractory respiratory failure and was successfully managed with veno-venous ECMO. We propose ECMO as a useful salvage therapy in patients with alveolar hemorrhage secondary to SLE who are failing conventional ventilatory support.
Adult ; Dyspnea ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation* ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Mortality ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Salvage Therapy

Pnuemocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is one of leading causes of acute respiratory failure in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the mortality rate remains high in mechanically ventilated HIV patients with PJP. There are several reported cases who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment for respiratory failure associated with severe PJP in HIV-infected patients. We report a patient who was newly diagnosed with HIV and PJP whose condition worsened after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation and progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring veno-venous ECMO. The patient recovered from PJP and is undergoing treatment with HAART. ECMO support can be an effective life-saving salvage therapy for acute respiratory failure refractory to mechanical ventilation following HAART in HIV-infected patients with severe PJP.
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; HIV ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pneumocystis jirovecii ; Pneumocystis ; Pneumonia ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Salvage Therapy

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is an uncommon complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and mortality remains high. In recent years, cases of DAH due to SLE treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have rarely been reported. The authors present a case of a 43-year-old woman with SLE who had rapidly aggravating dyspnea and hemoptysis. She was diagnosed as having DAH with refractory respiratory failure and was successfully managed with veno-venous ECMO. We propose ECMO as a useful salvage therapy in patients with alveolar hemorrhage secondary to SLE who are failing conventional ventilatory support.
Adult ; Dyspnea ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mortality ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Salvage Therapy