Journal of clinical monitoring and computing
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J Clin Monit Comput · Dec 2008
Case ReportsMainstream time-capnography: an aid to select an appropriate uncuffed endotracheal tube in small children.
Uncuffed endotracheal tubes are commonly used in children in an attempt to decrease the potential for pressure induced tracheal injury. However, uncuffed endotracheal tube may increase the risk of aspiration and lead to erratic delivery of preset tidal volume during mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Air-leak following tracheal intubation can be recognized by the presence of audible leak, by auscultation over the trachea, by palpation over the trachea and by observing effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on inspiratory expiratory tidal volume difference during mechanical ventilation. We describe mainstream time-capnograph as an aid to recognize leak around the endotracheal tube and its utility to determine appropriate endotracheal tube size in small children.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Dec 2008
Is the cardiac output obtained from a Swan-Ganz catheter always zero?
By means of a Swan-Ganz catheter cardiac output is calculated using the Stewart-Hamilton thermodilution equation. Assuming the body as a thermally isolated inert system, this equation theoretically always results in zero cardiac output. ⋯ It is at least a necessary condition for the application of the Stewart-Hamilton equation, that core body temperature is kept constant in a thermo- regulatory steady state.