Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Sep 1998
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialEffect of continuous lateral rotational therapy on lung mucus transport in mechanically ventilated patients.
Continuous lateral rotational therapy (CLRT) <40 degrees is a method of altering the position of the ventilated patient to help clear secretions from the lung. CLRT has not been shown to reduce the incidence of atelectasis or pneumonia but potentially offers a way to maximize positional drainage in these patients without producing adverse effects. Treatment intervention, bracketed by two (nonrotational) control periods. The purpose of this study was to determine if CLRT alters mucus transport in critically ill, intubated patients in the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. ⋯ Positional drainage effected by short duration CLRT did not appear to stimulate significant mucous removal from the lung in critically ill patients but also did not cause any adverse effects.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 1998
Comparative StudyThoracocardiography: noninvasive monitoring of left ventricular stroke volume.
Thoracocardiography noninvasively monitors global stroke volume by inductive plethysmographic recording of ventricular volume curves as previously validated by thermodilution. Our purpose was to investigate the potential of thoracocardiography to individually assess stroke volume of the left ventricle. We hypothesized that curves predominantly reflecting left ventricular volume could be obtained by recording waveforms from thoracocardiographic transducers placed at various levels around the chest, and by identifying their origin as the left ventricle if mean expiratory exceeded mean inspiratory stroke volumes during spontaneous breathing. ⋯ The results suggest that thoracocardiography noninvasively tracks changes in left ventricular stroke volumes. Their absolute value may also be monitored if an initial calibration by an independent technique, such as echocardiography, is performed.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 1998
Optimal pressure support level for beginning weaning in patients with COPD: measurement of diaphragmatic activity with step-by-step decreasing pressure support level.
The study objective was to determine an "optimal" individual pressure support (PS) level for beginning weaning with PS ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ Optimal PS level established with diEMG monitoring seems to be a useful index for beginning weaning in the PS ventilation mode in COPD patients. The hypothesis of beginning weaning with a PS level equal to 70% of PIP needs to be tested.
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The fate of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) has not been precisely defined in critically ill patients. This study aimed at defining the effects of long-term NO inhalation on circulating NO byproduct levels. ⋯ Long-term NO inhalation was associated with a consistent increase in the NO3- plasma concentration. NO byproducts may be implicated in the systemic effects associated with this treatment.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 1998
Cerebral blood flow is proportional to cardiac index in patients with septic shock.
In patients with septic shock, the cardiac index is often increased. Maldistribution of blood flow and regional hypoperfusion has been implicated as a key factor in the pathogenesis of organ dysfunction in these patients. We have investigated the relationship between cerebral blood flow and cardiac index in patients with septic shock. ⋯ These data are consistent with a loss of autoregulation of cerebral blood flow and a change in the control of limb blood flow in humans with septic shock.