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Purpose: The use of arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2 ) as a target intervention to manage elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) and its effect on clinical outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to describe targets for PaCO 2 in acute brain injured (ABI) patients and assess the occurrence of abnormal PaCO 2 values during the first week in the intensive care unit (ICU). The secondary aim was to assess the association of PaCO 2 with in-hospital mortality., Methods: We carried out a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective observational study involving adult invasively ventilated patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), or ischemic stroke (IS). PaCO 2 was collected on day 1, 3, and 7 from ICU admission. Normocapnia was defined as PaCO 2  > 35 and to 45 mmHg; mild hypocapnia as 32-35 mmHg; severe hypocapnia as 26-31 mmHg, forced hypocapnia as < 26 mmHg, and hypercapnia as > 45 mmHg., Results: 1476 patients (65.9% male, mean age 52 ± 18 years) were included. On ICU admission, 804 (54.5%) patients were normocapnic (incidence 1.37 episodes per person/day during ICU stay), and 125 (8.5%) and 334 (22.6%) were mild or severe hypocapnic (0.52 and 0.25 episodes/day). Forced hypocapnia and hypercapnia were used in 40 (2.7%) and 173 (11.7%) patients. PaCO 2 had a U-shape relationship with in-hospital mortality with only severe hypocapnia and hypercapnia being associated with increased probability of in-hospital mortality (omnibus p value = 0.0009). Important differences were observed across different subgroups of ABI patients., Conclusions: Normocapnia and mild hypocapnia are common in ABI patients and do not affect patients' outcome. Extreme derangements of PaCO 2 values were significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The vast majority of clinicians in Europe now prescribe beta-2 agonists as first-line therapy for patients with asthma. Inhaler devices may deliver rapidly acting (beta-2 sympathomimetics) and more slowly acting (anticholinergic) bronchodilator therapy as well as prophylactic medication (sodium cromoglycate and topical corticosteroids). The metered dose inhaler (MDI) is most often prescribed, but at least 50% of patients cannot use this device efficiently and 10-15% of those who can, develop an inefficient technique. The vast majority of those patients are able to use a single-dose dry power inhaler. Recent studies have shown that a multidose dry power system can be used by most patients and is preferred to the MDI by over two-thirds of patient. The large volume spacer systems have been shown to be as good as the MDI and nebulizer systems in the management of asthma, and they are easier to use than the MDI. Nebulisers are of value in chronic asthma in children who cannot use other delivery systems. The role of nebulisers for the domiciliary treatment of asthma in adults, however, remains controversial.