Annals of the American Thoracic Society
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Characteristics and Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Australia and New Zealand.
Rationale: The characteristics and outcomes of patients presenting with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission are poorly understood and there are sparse epidemiological data. Objectives: The objectives were to describe epidemiology and outcomes of patients admitted to an ICU with COPD and to evaluate whether outcomes varied over time. Methods: We studied adult ICU admissions across Australia and New Zealand between 2005 and 2017 with a diagnosis of AECOPD and used an admission diagnosis of asthma as comparator for trends over time. ⋯ There was a linear reduction in mortality for AECOPD but not for asthma admissions (odds ratio annual decline: AECOPD, 0.94 [0.93-0.95] and asthma, 1.01 [0.97-1.05]; P = 0.001) and an increase in AECOPD admissions discharged to home (odds ratio annual increase, AECOPD, 1.04 [1.03-1.05] and asthma, 1.01 [0.99-1.03]; P = 0.01). The reduction in mortality was sustained after adjusting for illness severity. Conclusions: Across Australia and New Zealand, the rate of ICU admissions due to AECOPD is increasing but mortality rates are decreasing, with a corresponding increase in the home discharge rates.
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Indwelling Pleural Catheter Drainage Strategy for Malignant Effusion: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.
Rationale: The likelihood of achieving pleurodesis after indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) placement for malignant pleural effusion varies with the specific drainage strategy used: symptom-guided drainage, daily drainage, or talc instillation through the IPC (IPC + talc). The relative cost-effectiveness of one strategy over the other is unknown. Objectives: We performed a decision tree model-based analysis to ascertain the cost-effectiveness of each IPC drainage strategy from a healthcare system perspective. ⋯ Daily drainage was not cost effective in any scenario, including for patients with nonexpandable lung, in whom it had an ICER of $2,474,612/QALY over symptom-guided drainage. Conclusions: For patients with malignant pleural effusion and an expandable lung, IPC + talc may be cost effective relative to symptom-guided drainage, although considerable uncertainty exists around this estimation. Daily IPC drainage is not a cost-effective strategy under any circumstance.
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Rationale: Even though idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality and no cure, palliative care is rarely implemented, leading to high symptom burden and unmet care needs. In 2012, we implemented a multidisciplinary collaborative (MDC) care model linking clinic and community multidisciplinary teams to provide an early integrated palliative approach, focusing on early symptom management and advance care planning. Objectives: To evaluate the differences in resource use and associated costs of end-of-life care between patients with IPF who received early integrated palliative care and patients with IPF who received conventional treatment. ⋯ Conclusions: An integrated palliative approach in IPF is associated with improvements in the quality of end-of-life care and reduction in costs. Transformation of care models is required to deliver palliative care for patients with IPF. MDC teams within such models can address the high burden of unmet needs for symptom management, advance care planning, and community support in this complex population.