Determinants of immediate survival among chronic respiratory insufficiency patients admitted to an intensive care unit for acute respiratory failure. A prospective multicenter study. The French Task Group for Acute Respiratory Failure in Chronic Respiratory insufficiency.

In this study, 322 patients were evaluated with two aims: determination of identifiable factors at the time of admission to an ICU that predict short-term survival. Application of the SAPS to this population. Characteristics of patients were as follows: age, 65.5 +/- 14.5 years; COLD, 45 percent; restrictive, 13.4 percent; obstructive and restrictive CRI, 13 percent; asthma progressing to CRI, 11.2 percent; diffuse bronchiectasis, 7.2 percent; neuromuscular diseases, 2.2 percent; others, 8 percent. Cachectic patients, those confined to home, those with initial coma or those who required MV had a higher percentage of M. The SAPS at admission was higher in those patients who died; however, there was no link between the SAPS and M. Prognostic factors in ARF complicating CRI and identifiable at the time of admission to an ICU are few and reflect severity of chronic respiratory disease; SAPS appears to be less useful in ARF complicating CRI.