Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Sep 2012
Influence of different flow-triggering levels on the breathing effort of mechanically ventilated patients.
Although a sensitive flow triggering (FT) level is supposed to be associated with reduced breathing effort, the incidence of autotriggering (AT) is likely to be increased. The actual effects of various FT levels on the work of breathing and occurrence of AT in mechanically ventilated patients are unknown. We investigated the effects of different FT levels (1-8 L/min) on breathing effort and incidence of AT in mechanically ventilated patients under pressure support ventilation using a Puritan-Bennett 840 ventilator. ⋯ A higher FT level was associated with lower incidence of AT, but without a significant increase in breathing effort. A higher FT level may be more reasonable in mechanically ventilated patients with this particular ventilator.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Sep 2012
Controlled Clinical TrialThe use of Modified Early Warning Score may help anesthesists in postoperative level of care selection in emergency abdominal surgery.
The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) was proposed for early identification of patients deterioration. The purpose of this study was to determine if MEWS calculation can help the anaesthesist select the correct level of care to avoid inappropriate admission to the ICU and to enhance the use of the High Dependency Unit (HDU) after emergency surgical procedures. ⋯ This study suggests that the use of a simple and reproducible score system may help in reducing ICU admissions after emergency surgery.
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Although weaning predictors have been extensively explored in weaning research, their use is currently under debate. From all the stages of mechanical ventilation, the measurements of weaning predictors have been considered by some authors as imperative in order to progress weaning and initiate a weaning trial. However, this practice is rejected by other authors who considered that these tests are not necessary to perform a weaning trial, based in a meta-analysis study from the American College of Chest Physicians. ⋯ In order to reduce weaning duration, weaning strategies must be performed earlier, when a failed weaning trial probably is poor tolerated and the use of f/VT could have a role. New applications of weaning predictors must be clarified in future research, in order to progress in weaning in the context of new studies. Weaning is still a challenging period during mechanical ventilation.
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The experimental evidence that ventilator could injure lungs through the application of excessive end-inspiratory volumes and transpulmonary pressures has led to major changes in the clinical management of patients suffering from the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The prevention of ventilator-induced lung injury has become one of the main goals of current ventilator strategies for patients with ARDS as well as for patients with normal lungs that require mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Considerable efforts have been made within the last decades to try to develop new ventilator strategies as well as pharmacological and mechanical measures in order to prevent VILI and further improve the outcome of ARDS patients. This review will strive to describe seminal experimental and clinical studies that aimed at preventing the development of VILI.