• Monica de la Peña, Alejandro Peralta, Lucia Gimeno, Cristina Oliver, Alicia Binimelis, Belen Nuñez, Miguel Carrera, and Ernest Sala.
• Chest. 2014 Mar 1;145(3 Suppl):207E.

Session TitleCritical CareSESSION TYPE: Slide PresentationPRESENTED ON: Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 04:15 PM - 05:15 PMPURPOSE: Non invasive ventilation (NIV) is a standardized treatment that has proven beneficial effects in different respiratory and cardiologic diseases. The increasing development of NIV has enabled chest physicians to assist more complex patients and stimulate the setting-up of specials units (Respiratory High-Dependency Care Units [RHDCU]). These units are specialized in severe respiratory patients who need NIV and monitoring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a RHDCU in non-invasive ventilated patients.MethodsProspective study that compared the role of a RHDCU dependent on a Pneumology department with respect to a conventional ward, in NIV patients admitted in Hospital Son Espases between July 2011 and June 2012. Cardiac failure patients and domiciliary NIV were excluded.Results88 patients were included, 46 admitted in RHDCU and 42 in conventional ward. The patients admitted in RHDCU, with respect to ward patients showed, respectively, worse pulmonary function (FEV1 post-bd. 37±15% pred. vs. 52±27% pred), higher severity index (APACHE: 21±6 vs. 13±5) and lower hospital stays (12±7 vs. 17±13 days) (p<0.05). Furthermore, the patients admitted to the RHDCU had a lower pH (7.25 ±0.07 vs. 7.28±0.06) and less NIV duration (5.4±3.4 vs 6.5±7.3 days) compared with the patients in conventional wards, with no statistical significance. However, we found no differences in mortality and readmissions between both groups.ConclusionsA RHDCU dependent on a Pneumology department allows the physician: 1) to apply NIV in more severe patients; 2) to decrease the hospital stay in patients treated with NIV; and, 3) all, with no increase in mortality or readmissions.Clinical ImplicationsRespiratory High-Dependency Care Units dependent on a Pneumology department afford the possibility to treat more severe patients with a higher level of monitoring and allow to identify therapeutic failures prematurely.DisclosureThe following authors have nothing to disclose: Alejandro Peralta, Lucia Gimeno, Cristina Oliver, Alicia Binimelis, Belen Nuñez, Miguel Carrera, Monica de la Peña, Ernest SalaNo Product/Research Disclosure Information.

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