High Airway Occlusion Pressure Is Associated with Dyspnea and Increased Mortality in Critically Ill Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Airway occlusion pressure at 100 ms (P0.1) reflects central respiratory drive. We aimed to assess factors associated with P0.1 and whether an abnormally low or high P0.1 value is associated with higher mortality and longer duration of mechanical ventilation (MV). We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted in 10 ICUs in France to evaluate dyspnea in communicative MV patients. In patients intubated for more than 24 hours, P0.1 was measured with dyspnea as soon as patients could communicate and the next day. Among 260 patients assessed after a median time of ventilation of 4 days, P0.1 was 1.9 (1-3.5) cm HO at enrollment, 24% had P0.1 values >3.5 cm HO, 37% had P0.1 values between 1.5 and 3.5 cm HO, and 39% had P0.1 values <1.5 cm HO. In multivariable linear regression, independent factors associated with P0.1 were the presence of dyspnea ( = 0.037), respiratory rate ( < 0.001), and Pa ( = 0.008). Ninety-day mortality was 33% in patients with P0.1 > 3.5 cm HO versus 19% in those with P0.1 between 1.5 and 3.5 cm HO and 17% in those with P0.1 < 1.5 cm HO ( = 0.046). After adjustment for the main risk factors, P0.1 was associated with 90-day mortality (hazard ratio per 1 cm HO, 1.19 [95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.37];  = 0.011). P0.1 was also independently associated with a longer duration of MV (hazard ratio per 1 cm HO, 1.10 [95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.19];  = 0.016). In patients receiving invasive MV, abnormally high P0.1 values may suggest dyspnea and are associated with higher mortality and prolonged duration of MV.