Why Hospitalists should care about Respiratory Compromise

by Michael Wong

This week is the Society for Hospital Medicine (SHM)’s Annual Conference, and the Respiratory Compromise Institute (RCI) believes that hospitalists play a key part in the prevention – and eventual elimination – of respiratory compromise. Dr. Jeff Vender, who serves on RCI’s clinical advisory committee, has written an article published in “The Hospitalist” on why this is.

Respiratory Compromise is a state in which there is a high likelihood of decompensation into respiratory failure and/or death, but, in which specific interventions – be it therapeutic and/or monitoring – might prevent or mitigate this decompensation. “Respiratory failure is the second leading avoidable patient safety issue.1 It is one of the top five conditions leading to increasing hospital costs2 and the third most rapidly increasing hospital inpatient cost in the United States.3,” states Phil Porte, Executive Director of the Respiratory Compromise Institute.

Dr. Vender begins his article with a reference to research conducted by Dr. Adriana Ducci, on “Improving Survival from Sepsis in Noncritical Units: Role of Hospitalists and Sepsis Team in Early Detection and Initial Treatment of Septic Patients,” and makes a comparison between sepsis and respiratory compromise. Sepsis has been successfully prevented countless times because of hospitalist-managed protocols, and he believes that the same principles apply to respiratory compromise.

“I believe that greater awareness about respiratory compromise will lead to earlier diagnosis and interventions, which will theoretically improve patient outcomes. Moreover, as with the sepsis awareness campaign, hospitalists can play a key role in recognizing respiratory compromise and in the implementation of appropriate interventions,” says Dr. Vender in the article.

Dr. Vender discusses several examples of how respiratory compromise can occur, and offers a few suggestions on steps we can take together as nurses, hospitalists, or physicians, but most importantly he emphasizes that “simple recognition and greater awareness of respiratory compromise, just as with sepsis awareness campaigns, will mean more patients are diagnosed earlier, more appropriate interventions are made, and hopefully more adverse events and patient deaths are averted.”

Read the full article from The Hospitalist here, and join the conversation about respiratory compromise and ways to prevent it by leaving a comment, or following RCI on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Respiratory Compromise Institute (RCI) Issues New Podcast Series to Raise Awareness of Respiratory Compromise

by Michael Wong

VIENNA, Va., March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The Respiratory Compromise Institute (RCI) announced today the launch of the RCI podcast series, featuring industry-leading medical experts discussing respiratory compromise, a pulmonary condition generally characterized by the chronic or acute deterioration of respiratory function. Respiratory compromise in any form contributes to a higher risk of life-threatening respiratory failure. This provider education series is intended to promote a multidisciplinary dialogue among the medical community, especially in hospital settings, such as pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, hospitalists, respiratory therapists, critical care experts, emergency physicians, nurse anesthetists, chest physicians, medical academia, and other stakeholders who are responsible for patient safety, improving quality measures and promoting optimal clinical outcomes.

“Respiratory failure is the second leading avoidable patient safety issue.1 It is one of the top five conditions leading to increasing hospital costs2 and the third most rapidly increasing hospital inpatient cost in the United States.3,” states Phil Porte. Executive Director of the Respiratory Compromise Institute.  “General care floor patients with respiratory compromise are 29 times more likely to die due to these complications,2” he stated. This podcast series will provide important information on the current research and next steps to preventing respiratory compromise in hospitals across the nation and around the world.

The presentations in the available RCI podcast episodes were delivered at a recent gathering of respiratory therapists and allied medical providers at American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC18) in Las Vegas, Nevada on the following topics:

  • Introduction and Moderation presented by Dr. James Lamberti, MD, FCCP, Director, Respiratory Care Services at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Professor of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Inova Campus
  • History of Respiratory Compromise Institute (RCI) presented by Phillip Porte, RCI, Executive Director
  • Populations at Risk: Evidence from Medicare Data Mining presented by Dr. Lamberti, MD, FCCP, Director, Respiratory Care Services at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Professor of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth UniversitySchool of Medicine, Inova Campus and Dr. Sidney Braman, MD, FCCP, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Future Research Considerations presented by Dr. Jeffery Vender, MD, FCCP, Evanston Hospital and Dr. Neil MacIntyre, MD, FCCP, Duke University Hospital

About Respiratory Compromise
Respiratory compromise, which includes respiratory distress, insufficiency, failure and arrest, can occur across numerous clinical scenarios. For example, respiratory compromise may appear post-operatively or may be drug-induced by the delivery of a sedative, opioid, or analgesic to patients who were not properly assessed or properly monitored.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, respiratory compromise is the third most rapidly increasing hospital inpatient cost in the United States, with $7.8 billion spent on respiratory compromise in U.S. hospitals in 2007. Respiratory compromise increases patient mortality rates by over 30 percent and hospital and ICU stays by almost 50 percent. RCI defines respiratory compromise as a state in which there is a high likelihood of decompensation into respiratory insufficiency, respiratory failure or death that could be prevented or mitigated through specific interventions (enhanced monitoring and/or therapies).

About Respiratory Compromise Institute 
The Respiratory Compromise Institute brings together a broad-based coalition of medical organizations, companies, and individuals dedicated to reducing—and eventually eliminating—preventable adverse events and deaths due to respiratory compromise.

Learn more about the Respiratory Compromise Institute by visiting: https://www.respiratorycompromise.org/

References

1 Healthgrades website, “Quality Matters: Tackle the Top 3 Patient Safety Issues.” 
https://www.hospitals.healthgrades.com/index.cfm/customers/e-newsletters/april-2013/quality-matters-tackle-the-top-3-patient-safety-issues/. Accessed October 10, 2017.

2 Kelley SD, SA, Agarwal S, Parikh N, Erslon M, Morris P. Respiratory insufficiency, arrest and failure among medical patients on the general care floor. Crit Care Med. 2012; 40(12):764.

3 NAMDRC, National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care. Reducing respiratory compromise and depression. PR Web. Available at http://www.prweb.com/pdfdownload/12615503.pdf.

Media Contact:  
Nancy Rose Senich
Cell/Text: (202)262-6996
Email:  nancy@rose4results.com

SOURCE Respiratory Compromise Institute (RCI)

Related Links
https://www.respiratorycompromise.org