Swine flu patients with respiratory failure survive
October 13th, 2009 - 2:06 pm ICT by IANSWashington, Oct 13 (IANS) Most patients who experienced respiratory failure as a result of influenza A (H1N1) survived after being treated with oxygen, says a new study.
Some patients developed severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), according to the study.
ARDS is a condition that leads to respiratory failure due to rapid fluid accumulation in the lungs. ECMO adds oxygen to the circulating blood.
ECMO was used for these patients because they had very low blood oxygen levels despite standard ventilator (or respirator) settings. It is generally used for a limited time because of the risks of bleeding, clotting, infection and organ failure.
ECMO investigators, along with Intensive Care Research Centre at Monash University, conducted an observational study of such patients in 15 intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia and New Zealand between June 1 and Aug 31.
The study found that 68 patients with severe influenza-associated ARDS were treated with ECMO, including 53 with confirmed influenza A (H1N1).
An additional 133 patients with influenza A received mechanical ventilation, but not ECMO, in the same ICUs. The 68 patients who received ECMO had a median (midpoint) age of 34.4 years and half were men.
“Affected patients were often young adults, pregnant or post pregnancy, obese, had severe respiratory failure…, and received prolonged mechanical ventilation and ECMO support,” the authors write.
At the time of reporting, 54 of the 68 patients had survived. Six patients remained in ICU, including two who were still receiving ECMO. Sixteen patients were still hospitalised, but out of ICU, and 32 had been discharged from the hospital, according to a Monash University release.
“Despite their illness severity and the prolonged use of life support, most of these patients survived,” the authors conclude. “This information should facilitate health care planning and clinical management for these complex patients during the ongoing pandemic.”
These findings appeared online in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and is slated for publication in its Nov 4 issue.
- Giving oxygen to H1N1 patients with respiratory failure improves survival - Oct 13, 2009
- Why H1N1 increased mortality in healthy kids? - Nov 07, 2011
- Intensive care procedure saves lives, claims swine flu study - Oct 14, 2009
- H1N1 hits young patients more severely: Study - Oct 13, 2009
- New ICU drug could cut lung injuries - Jun 08, 2011
- Increased Tamiflu dosage not necessary for critically ill H1N1patients - Feb 17, 2010
- Using telemedicine for ICU patients has little overall benefit - Dec 30, 2009
- Physical therapist-led exercise boosts reduces hospital stay in ICU patients - May 11, 2010
- Kids with chronic respiratory illness vulnerable to critical H1N1 - Mar 12, 2010
- Why patients often report depression post ICU stay - Apr 11, 2009
- How airborne influenza may spread - Nov 23, 2010
- How hearts adapt and recover from low oxygen - Feb 01, 2011
- Hospital-acquired infections high in India: Study - Sep 22, 2011
- Dying at home 'better for cancer patients' - Sep 16, 2010
- Probe ordered into Rajasthan hospital deaths - Sep 02, 2011
Tags: acute respiratory distress, acute respiratory distress syndrome, ards, australia and new zealand, blood oxygen levels, ecmo, flu patients, fluid accumulation, illness severity, intensive care units, mechanical ventilation, membrane oxygenation, monash university, observational study, organ failure, respirator, respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, swine flu