American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Clinicians are unsure if radiography is needed to confirm correct positioning of feeding tubes inserted with assistance from an electromagnetic system. ⋯ Images generated by the electromagnetic tube placement device provided inconsistent results regarding tube location. A small percentage of seriously malpositioned tubes were not detected by using the electromagnetic device. These findings do not support eliminating radiographs to confirm correct tube placement following use of an electromagnetic tube placement device.
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Many patients each year require prolonged mechanical ventilation. Inflammatory processes may prevent successful weaning, and evidence indicates that mechanical ventilation induces oxidative stress in the diaphragm, resulting in atrophy and contractile dysfunction of diaphragmatic myofibers. Antioxidant supplementation might mitigate the harmful effects of the oxidative stress induced by mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Enteral administration of antioxidants is a simple, safe, inexpensive, and effective intervention that decreases the duration of mechanical ventilation in critically ill adults.