Prevalence of patients with indication for the use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation in an emergency unit

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: despite the application of noninvasive mechanical ventilation be well documented in the literature as its benefits, avoiding the need of endotracheal intubation and reducing the costs and time of hospital stay, these is still not the therapeutic of choice in the cases of acute respiratory insufficiency in most of the Brazilian hospitals. Objective: to verify the prevalence of patients with indication for the use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation in an emergency unit. Material and methods: historical cohort study with analysis of the handbook of patients with diagnosis of heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalized at the emergency department of a hospital from the North region of Rio Grande do Sul in the period from October 2007 to October 2008. The continuum variables were described as mean and standard deviation and the categorical as absolute and relative frequency. To evaluate the association between the basic pathology and other variables, it was used the qui-square test with correction for continuity when they were categorical and the t student test for the independent groups when were continuous. It was considered statistical significance when p < 0,05. Results: the sample was composed by 71 individuals, with mean age 68,45 ± 12,37 years, where 39 (54,9%) presented exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 32 (45,1%) had an episode of respiratory insufficiency due to heart failure. The median time of hospital stay was 6,0 (3,0 - 8,5) days and of emergency unit stay was 4,0 (2,5-7,0) days. Conclusion: it can be concluded that there is a large prevalence of patients that could use the noninvasive mechanical ventilation still in the emergency unit.