Heart & lung : the journal of critical care
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Early, single chlorhexidine application reduces ventilator-associated pneumonia in trauma patients.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is an important complication of mechanical ventilation and is particularly common in trauma, burn, and surgical patients. Interventions that kill bacteria in the oropharynx reduce the pool of viable organisms available for translocation to the lung and thereby lessen the likelihood of developing VAP. Repeated administration of chlorhexidine (CHX) to the mouth and oropharynx has been shown to reduce the incidence of VAP, but use of a single dose has not been studied. This randomized, controlled clinical trial tested an early (within 12 hours of intubation) application of CHX by swab versus control (no swab) on oral microbial flora and VAP. ⋯ an early, single application of CHX to the oral cavity significantly reduces CPIS and thus VAP in trauma patients.
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Silicosis is the most common type of pneumoconiosis in Hong Kong. This study explored the clinical correlates of the caregiving burden and quality of life (QOL) among pneumoconiosis caregivers in Hong Kong. ⋯ Caring for pneumoconiosis patients entails a significant caregiving burden for caregivers, and adversely affects their QOL. Caregivers' depressive symptoms are related to both their caregiving burden and QOL.