Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1994
Assessment of critical care nurses' knowledge of the pulmonary artery catheter. The Pulmonary Artery Catheter Study Group.
To assess the knowledge and understanding of the use of the pulmonary artery catheter and interpretation of data derived from it in a group of nurses attending the American Association of Critical Care Nurses' National Teaching Institute conference. ⋯ A wide variation in the understanding of the use of the pulmonary artery catheter exists among nurses using this device in the care of seriously ill patients. The results indicate that current teaching practices regarding the pulmonary artery catheter need to be reevaluated and specific credentialing policies need to be considered.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialRacemic versus l-epinephrine aerosol in the treatment of postextubation laryngeal edema: results from a prospective, randomized, double-blind study.
To determine whether any advantage exists using racemic epinephrine instead of the more potent and less expensive levo(1)-epinephrine in the treatment of postextubation laryngeal edema. ⋯ These data suggest that aerosolized l-epinephrine is as effective as aerosolized racemic epinephrine in the treatment of postextubation laryngeal edema without additional adverse side effects. When dosed appropriately, l-epinephrine is a less expensive and more widely available alternative to racemic epinephrine for the treatment of postextubation laryngeal edema.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialProspective, randomized comparison of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and conventional mechanical ventilation in pediatric respiratory failure.
To compare the effectiveness of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation with conventional mechanical ventilation in pediatric patients with respiratory failure. ⋯ Our results indicate that high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, utilizing an aggressive volume recruitment strategy, results in significant improvement in oxygenation compared with a conventional ventilatory strategy designed to limit increases in peak airway pressures. Furthermore, despite the use of higher mean airway pressures, the optimal lung volume strategy used in this study was associated with a lower frequency of barotrauma, as indicated by requirement for supplemental oxygen at 30 days, and improved outcome compared with conventional mechanical ventilation.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1994
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialCrystalloid infusion increases plasma hyaluronan.
To investigate the changes in plasma hyaluronan concentrations after intravenous infusion of crystalloid solution in healthy subjects. ⋯ Infusion of crystalloid solution increases plasma hyaluronan, probably through a washout of interstitial hyaluronan by way of increased lymph flow. The consequences of the interstitial loss of hyaluronan on tissue function are unknown.