BELLRICU PROJECT: Precision Medicine in Respiratory Intermediate Care Units (BELLRICU)

Study design: prospective longitudinal multi-center study

Study Setting:

• Model construction phase at the coordinator IRCU with 8-bed capacity (extendable to 12-bed capacity from December to march, both included). Six single and 3 double rooms. Centralized monitoring. Non-invasive respiratory suport equipment for each patient. Portable echography and bronchoscopy. Transcutaneous capnography and gasometer inside IRCU. Nurse: patient ratio of 1:4. Physiotherapist: patient ratio of 1:8-12. 24-h medical assistance: two respiratory physicians on call.
• Model external validation phase at the rest of the participating IRCUs having similar services and medical complexity that the coordinator IRCU

Inclusion Criteria:

eligible patients for the study will be those that fulfill any clinical criteria to be admitted at Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit (IRCU) and no exclusion criteria of the study.

*Clinical criteria to be admitted to IRCU: 1. Acute or acute-on-chronic respiratory failure requiring non-invasive respiratory suport (NIRS) (Non-invasive ventilation or high flow nasal cannulae); 2. Neuromuscular patients requiring tracheostomy and ventilation invasive adaptation; 3. Life-treating hemoptysis requiring emergent or urgent bronchial embolization (<24 hours); 4. Pulmonary embolism of high-intermediate risk requiring monitoring during first 24-48h of hospital admission on anticoagulation; 5. Patients derived from Intensive care unit (ICU) requiring intermediate Medical step before transferred safely to conventional ward (complex respiratory weaning from invasive ventilation, high-dependency nurse cures due to limiting post-critical myopathy...; 6. Patients with thoracic cancer (onset or complication) of vital risk (major hemoptysis, massive pleural effusion, pericardial effusion on pre or cardiac arrest, pneumonitis related to oncological treatment with severe acute respiratory failure requiring NIRS, cava vein syndrome requiring emergent prothesis, etc...); 7. Respiratory complications after a complex interventional bronchoscopy requiring NIRS and/or strict monitoring: after significant bleeding, bronchial laceration, severe bronchospasm, non-controlled arrhythmia...; 8. Respiratory or/and cardiac intercurrent instability in a patient initially admitted to respiratory conventional ward.

Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patient's express negative to participate in the study; 2. Patient already included in other simultaneous and competitive study; 3. Patient cognitive deterioration that unable him to understand the study.