PREDICTING THE NEED OF VENTILATOR SUPPORT FOR ACUTE EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE PATIENTS USING RAPID SHALLOW BREATHING INDEX

Acute exacerbation of COPD is a frequent reference to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to respiratory failure, which often requires mechanical ventilation (MV). Aim: In this study, the rapid shallow respiratory rate (RSBI) was assessed as a predictor of the need for ventilation support in patients with acute COPD exacerbation. Study Design: A prospective study. Place and Duration: In the Medicine Unit II and Anesthesia Department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center Karachi for one year duration from February 2019 to February 2020. Methods: The study was conducted on 115 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD who went to the intensive care unit at the Mayo Hospital in Lahore. All enrolled patients measured RSBI every 30 minutes at admission and for the first 2 hours. Results and Conclusion: The RSBI cutoff value, which made the best distinction between non-invasive and invasive MV requirement using recipient operational characteristics (ROC), was> 241 breaths / minute / liter, showed 88.33% of sensitivity and 100% specificity. RSBI may be a good predictor of the need for ventilation assistance in acute COPD exacerbations. Keywords: critical, pneumatic, fast and shallow breathing rate, ventilation