Risk Factors Associated with Late Failure of Noninvasive Ventilation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for noninvasive ventilation (NIV) failure after initial success are not fully clear in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Patients who received NIV beyond 48 h due to acute exacerbation of COPD were enrolled. However, we excluded those whose pH was higher than 7.35 or PaCO(2) was less than 45 mmHg which was measured before NIV. Late failure of NIV was defined as patients required intubation or died during NIV after initial success. RESULTS: We enrolled 291 patients in this study. Of them, 48 (16%) patients experienced late NIV failure (45 received intubation and 3 died during NIV). The median time from initiation of NIV to intubation was 4.8 days (IQR: 3.4–8.1). Compared with the data collected at initiation of NIV, the heart rate, respiratory rate, pH, and PaCO(2) significantly improved after 1–2 h of NIV both in the NIV success and late failure of NIV groups. Nosocomial pneumonia (odds ratio (OR) = 75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 11–537), heart rate at initiation of NIV (1.04, 1.01–1.06 beat per min), and pH at 1–2 h of NIV (2.06, 1.41–3.00 per decrease of 0.05 from 7.35) were independent risk factors for late failure of NIV. In addition, the Glasgow coma scale (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34–0.73 per one unit increase) and PaO(2)/FiO(2) (0.992, 0.986–0.998 per one unit increase) were independent protective factors for late failure of NIV. In addition, patients with late failure of NIV had longer ICU stay (median 9.5 vs. 6.6 days) and higher hospital mortality (92% vs. 3%) compared with those with NIV success. CONCLUSIONS: Nosocomial pneumonia; heart rate at initiation of NIV; and consciousness, acidosis, and oxygenation at 1–2 h of NIV were associated with late failure of NIV in patients with COPD exacerbation. And, late failure of NIV was associated with increased hospital mortality.