Critical care medicine
-
From July 1975 to September 1979, 6 patients were treated with truly prolonged endotracheal intubation; the duration ranged from 55--155 days. Only patients who survived after extubation and were discharged from the hospital were included in this study. Of the 6 patients, 4 were still alive as of November 1980, 23 patients died from causes not related to the intubation. ⋯ In none of these cases was the patient's death related to the intubation. The authors believe that the risk of long-term intubation has been reduced significantly by the use of nasotracheal tubes and to the newer tube materials, which are completely biocompatible, and to improved techniques of cuff inflation. Complications to tracheostomy are less frequent, but often more serious, than complications of long-term nasotracheal intubation.
-
Critical care medicine · Sep 1981
Comparative StudyComparison of dopamine, dobutamine, and epinephrine in CPR.
Two new catecholamines, dopamine and dobutamine, have found widespread use for cardiovascular support. The relative efficacy of these drugs in aiding resuscitation from cardiopulmonary arrest is unknown. Dogs were subjected to either asphyxial or fibrillatory cardiac arrest. ⋯ The authors conclude that, in dogs, dopamine is a useful adjunct to CPR because of its alpha-adrenergic stimulating activity at high doses. Dobutamine does not appear to be of value as the initial therapy of cardiac arrest. If the response in man is similar to that in dogs, dopamine may provide an alternative to epinephrine during CPR.