Resp Care
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Multicenter Study
Twenty-four-hour ambulatory oximetry monitoring in COPD patients with moderate hypoxemia.
The relationship of diurnal desaturations (oximetry-measured blood oxygen saturation [S(pO(2))] < 90%) during activities of daily living and clinical aspects in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and moderate hypoxemia has not been systematically evaluated. ⋯ Patients with stable COPD and moderate hypoxemia have frequent and potentially important desaturations during activities of daily living and at night. In addition, there is a big difference in the profile and degree of nocturnal and diurnal desaturations. Twenty-four hours of oximetry provides valuable information for comprehensive evaluation of patients with COPD.
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To identify particular learning needs among adolescents with asthma and explore the potential utility of the Internet in addressing adolescents' expressed learning needs. ⋯ This study underscores the necessity of an early intervention to take advantage of younger adolescents' greater interest in learning about asthma, and highlights the importance of incorporating peer dynamics in designing interventions for adolescents. Our findings also illustrate the variety of ways that the Internet may be useful in developing a technology-driven intervention for adolescents.
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Patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome are commonly exposed to prolonged mechanical ventilation. Specific data on ventilatory management of these patients have been limited. ⋯ Changes in ventilator practice did not affect outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. The majority of patients received tracheostomy, which should be considered early in the course of respiratory failure.
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To determine the time to wean from mechanical ventilation and time spent off the ventilator per day after tracheotomy in critically ill patients in a 28-bed mixed medical and surgical intensive care unit (ICU) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. ⋯ Time to wean from after tracheotomy differed among the subgroups in our ICU. After tracheotomy, the majority of patients were quickly able to breathe spontaneously without assistance of the mechanical ventilator for several hours per day. Patients who require tracheotomy only for airway protection wean sooner than other patients.