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Abstract
Introduction and objectives Home non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is established for the treatment for patients with obesity-related type 2 respiratory failure. Long-term outcomes for the use of NIV in patients with chronic hypercapnic COPD and “overlap syndrome” are less certain. Our objective was to compare the long-term survival of patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), COPD and overlap syndrome who were established on NIV.
Methods All patients with a diagnosis of COPD, OHS and overlap syndrome were identified retrospectively from a patient database. Overlap syndrome was defined as COPD and either OHS or obstructive sleep apnoea resulting in chronic type 2 respiratory failure. The diagnosis was defined at the time NIV was established from medical assessment and respiratory physiology. All patient data was anonymised. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. Median survival was estimated for each of the three groups. Survival was compared using Mantel-Cox test, Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon test and Log-rank test.
Results In total 463 patients were established on NIV. NIV was initiated on 158 patients with COPD (51% female, 49% male, mean age at set up 66 years), 269 patients with OHS (46% female, 54% male, mean age 62 years) and 36 patients with overlap syndrome (48% female, 52% male, mean age 66 years). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the three groups are shown. A clinically and statistically significant difference in survival was observed between the three groups (p < 0.0001). Patients with COPD had the worst long term survival compared with patients with OHS and the overlap syndrome. The median survival was 49 months for patients with COPD, 92 months for patients with overlap syndrome and 141 for patients with OHS.
Conclusion Evidence for domiciliary NIV in patients with OHS is well established. There is emerging evidence to support with use of NIV in patients with chronic hypercapnic COPD and low body mass index. Patients with overlap syndrome are a heterogeneous group representing a spectrum from predominately COPD to predominately OHS. Further studies are required to establish if patients with overlap syndrome benefit from NIV and to identify potentially modifiable risk factors associated with a poor outcome.
Showing the survival for patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), COPD and overlap syndrome