Table 1 Main characteristics of the population
Overall population | HFNC-O2 + early NIV | COT ± late NIV | |
|---|---|---|---|
N = 141 | N = 71 | N = 70 | |
Demographics and medical history | |||
Age (years) | 60 [50–70] | 60 [48–72] | 60 [52–69] |
Male sex | 120 (85) | 58 (82) | 62 (89) |
BMI (kg/m2) | 26 [24–29] | 26 [24–29] | 27 [25–30] |
Preexisting respiratory conditions* | 24 (17) | 15 (21) | 9 (13) |
Antiplatelet or anticoagulant treatment | 26 (18) | 11 (15) | 15 (21) |
Thoracic injuries | |||
Number of rib fractures | 7 [5–9] | 7 [5–9] | 8 [6–9] |
Flail chest | 66 (47) | 28 (39) | 38 (54) |
Pulmonary contusion | 98 (70) | 47 (66) | 51 (73) |
Pneumothorax | 93 (66) | 42 (59) | 51 (73) |
Hemothorax | 82 (58) | 38 (54) | 44 (63) |
Associated injuries (AIS ≥ 3) | |||
Limb fracture | 48 (34) | 27 (38) | 21 (30) |
Craniofacial trauma | 24 (17) | 14 (20) | 10 (14) |
Pelvic fracture | 24 (17) | 13 (18) | 11 (16) |
Spine fracture | 16 (11) | 6 (9) | 10 (14) |
Abdominal trauma | 12 (9) | 7 (10) | 5 (7) |
Severity scores | |||
ISS | 25 [17–34] | 26 [17–34] | 24 [17–33] |
TTSS | 11 [9–13] | 11 [9–12] | 12 [10–13] |
Time between trauma and randomization | 17 [10–29] | 17 [12–29] | 17 [9–28] |
Clinical and biological data at randomization | |||
Respiratory rate | 18 [15–21] | 18 [15–22] | 17 [15–20] |
PaO2 (mmHg) | 74 [65–81] | 72 [66–79] | 74 [66–84] |
Oxygen flow rate (L/min) | 3 [2–4] | 3 [2–4] | 3 [2–4] |
Estimated PaO2/FiO2 | 258 [222–278] | 254 [220–279] | 260 [226–276] |
PaCO2 (mmHg) | 39 [37–42] | 39 [36–42] | 40 [37–42] |
Chest pain scale at rest | 3 [2–5] | 3 [2–5] | 3 [2–5] |
ICU management within 14 days after randomization | |||
Need for non-invasive ventilation | 97 (69) | 71 (100) | 26 (37) |
Need for emergency or scheduled surgery | 32 (23) | 17 (24) | 15 (21) |
Rib fixation or other thoracic surgery | 12 (9) | 3 (4) | 9 (13) |
Non-thoracic surgery | 24 (17) | 15 (21) | 9 (13) |
Need for locoregional procedure | 81 (57) | 37 (52) | 44 (63) |
Need for epidural analgesia | 51 (36) | 21 (30) | 30 (43) |
Need for alternative techniques only | 30 (21) | 16 (23) | 14 (20) |
Need for chest tube insertion | 48 (34) | 22 (31) | 26 (37) |
Patient’s outcome | |||
Need for intubation for delayed respiratory failure | 11 (8) | 5 (7) | 6 (9) |
Occurrence of pulmonary infection | 22 (16) | 15 (21) | 7 (10) |
Delayed hemothorax with need for chest tube insertion | 21 (15) | 11 (16) | 10 (14) |
Moderate-to-severe ARDS | 8 (6) | 5 (7) | 3 (4) |
In-hospital mortality | 3 (2) | 2 (3) | 1 (1) |
ICU length of stay (days) | 6 [4–9] | 6 [4–9] | 6 [4–9] |
Hospital length of stay (days) | 11 [8–18] | 12 [7–21] | 11 [9–15] |