Current opinion in critical care
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2014
Review Meta AnalysisVentilation with lower tidal volumes for critically ill patients without the acute respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic translational review and meta-analysis.
There is convincing evidence for benefit from lung-protective mechanical ventilation with lower tidal volumes in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It is uncertain whether this strategy benefits critically ill patients without ARDS as well. This manuscript systematically reviews recent preclinical studies of ventilation in animals with uninjured lungs, and clinical trials of ventilation in ICU patients without ARDS on the association between tidal volume size and pulmonary complications and outcome. ⋯ Ventilation with lower tidal volumes protects against pulmonary complications, but well-powered randomized controlled trials are urgently needed to determine whether this ventilation strategy truly benefits all ventilated ICU patients without ARDS.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2014
ReviewEpithelial and endothelial damage induced by mechanical ventilation modes.
The adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common cause of respiratory failure with substantial impact on public health. Patients with ARDS generally require mechanical ventilation, which risks further lung damage. Recent improvements in ARDS outcomes have been attributed to reductions in deforming stress associated with lung protective mechanical ventilation modes and settings. The following review details the mechanics of the lung parenchyma at different spatial scales and the response of its resident cells to deforming stress in order to provide the biologic underpinnings of lung protective care. ⋯ Heterogeneity of stiffness and intercellular and intracellular stress failure are fundamental components of ARDS and their development also depends on the ventilation mode.
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Prone position can prevent ventilator-induced lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients receiving conventional mechanical ventilation and, hence, may have the potential to improve survival from this basis. Even though no single randomized controlled trial has proven benefit on patient outcome until recently, two meta-analyses, one on grouped data and the other on individual data, have shown that patients with PaO2/FIO2 ratio less than 100 mmHg at the time of inclusion did benefit from prone position. As a fifth trial completed recently has shown a significant reduction in mortality in patients with severe and confirmed ARDS from using prone position, the purpose of this review is to revisit prone positioning in ARDS in the light of these new findings. ⋯ From the combined results of the two meta-analyses and the last randomized controlled trial, there is a very strong signal to use prone position in patients with severe ARDS, as early as possible and for long sessions.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2014
ReviewPostoperative respiratory failure: pathogenesis, prediction, and prevention.
This review discusses our present understanding of postoperative respiratory failure (PRF) pathogenesis, risk factors, and perioperative-risk reduction strategies. ⋯ PRF is a life-threatening event that is challenging for the surgical team. Risk prediction scales based on large population studies are being developed and validated. We need high-quality trials of preventive measures, particularly those related to ventilator use in both high risk and general populations.
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This review discusses the role of chest ultrasound in diagnosis and management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and the most recent technical progresses in this field. ⋯ An ultrasound-integrated approach combining lung ultrasound and echocardiography should be recommended as a suitable technique to manage ARDS during diagnosis, mechanical ventilation setting, and weaning.