Acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic: Four case reports

Abstract

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) can cause acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). The onset of AHRF in four patients with OHS during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is reported in this study. Two men (23 and 45 years old) and two women (both 77 years old) presented to our hospital with AHRF. In the two elderly women, a prolonged supine position due to falls seemed to be the cause of AHRF. Treatment was started with bilevel positive airway pressure for all patients. While one patient died, the condition of the other three improved; they were discharged with continuous positive airway pressure. AHRF due to OHS was rarely reported in the rural region of Japan. It is suggested that increased rates of obesity due to lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic may be responsible for an increase in the prevalence of OHS-associated AHRF.