(1) Background: Because of a complicated intraoperative course and/or poor recovery of graft function, approximately 15% of lung transplant (LT) recipients require prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) and receive a tracheostomy. This prospective study aimed to assess the effect of High-Flow Tracheal Oxygen (HFTO) on tracheostomy tube removal in LT recipients receiving PMV postoperatively. (2) Methods: The clinical course of 14 LT recipients receiving HFTO was prospectively evaluated and compared to that of 13 comparable controls receiving conventional oxygen therapy (COT) via tracheostomy. The study’s primary endpoint was the number of patients whose tracheostomy tube was removed at discharge from an Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit (IRCU). (3) Results: Setting up HFTO proved easy, and it was well tolerated by all the patients. The number of patients whose tracheostomy tube was removed was significantly higher in the HFOT group compared to the COT group [13/14 vs. 6/13 (p = 0.0128)]. (4) Conclusions: HFTO is an effective, safe therapy that facilitates tracheostomy tube removal in LT recipients after weaning from PMV.

Background: The impact of Long-Term Non-Invasive Ventilation (LT-NIV) on patient-relevant outcomes has yet to be clearly established in types 2 and 3 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Objectives: The current study aimed to assess LT-NIV effect(s) on tracheostomy-free survival and the need for hospitalization. Its secondary aim was to identify patient characteristics that can be considered risk factors for an unsatisfactory response to treatment. Design: This study is a retrospective analysis of long-term outcomes in types 2 and 3 SMA patients receiving home LT-NIV. Methods:Patients and interventions: Eighteen types 2 and 3 SMA patients who were receiving home LT-NIV between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 2025 were included. Primary study endpoint: The endpoint comprised a composite of tracheostomy-free survival time and hospitalization rate. Results: Twelve patients (66.7%) had a positive response to LT-NIV (group A); the response was unsatisfactory in the remaining 6 (33.3%) (group B). Tracheostomy-free survival time was significantly reduced in the latter compared to the former [66 (range: 2–172) vs. 280 (range: 67–407) months; p = 0.010] and the hospitalization rate was significantly higher [0.35 (range: 0.06–1.44) vs. 0.07 (range: 0.00–0.18) episodes/yr; p = 0.007]. A correlation was found between an unsatisfactory response to LT-NIV and treatment initiation following an episode of acute respiratory failure (OR: 7.90; 95% CI, 0.99–123.2; p = 0.051). Conclusions: LT-NIV has a positive impact on tracheostomy-free survival and hospitalizations in types 2 and 3 SMA patients. The risk of an unsatisfactory response appears to be higher when the treatment is initiated in clinically unstable patients.

Background: Patients suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may experience acute exacerbation (AE-IPF), which frequently results in acute respiratory failure (ARF) requiring hospitalization. Objective: This study aims to determine if survival has improved over the last decade in patients hospitalized for ARF consequent to AE-IPF, in view of the progress recently made in pharmacological and supportive treatment strategies. Methods: This was an observational retrospective single-center study. The data of 14 patients admitted to an Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit (IRCU) between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013 (group A) were compared with those of 26 patients admitted between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2023 (group B). This study’s primary endpoint was survival following IRCU admission. Results: Survival time was significantly longer in the second group of patients compared to the first one [median survival time: 134 (31–257) vs. 25.5 (20–50) days; p < 0.001]. Group B patients also had a lower IRCU mortality rate (6/26 vs. 10/14; p = 0.003) and a significantly shorter stay in the IRCU [6 (1–60) vs. 14 (1–43) days; p = 0.039]. Conclusions: Innovative pharmacologic treatments and supportive therapeutic strategies are able to prolong survival and reduce the risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with AE-IPF hospitalized for ARF.