Resp Care
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A study was undertaken to determine factors present in adult patients, newly admitted to the hospital, that predict the inability of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) to sustain the work of breathing and avoid endotracheal intubation. ⋯ The following can be concluded from our study: there is a low failure rate for NPPV (15%); patients with a low body mass index are more likely to fail NPPV and require endotracheal intubation; and patients who fail NPPV have a higher risk of mortality (p = 0.00016).
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Poster presentations given at scientific meetings are widely used in medicine, nursing, and allied health professions to communicate research findings. A good poster presentation can be an effective way to share the results of your research with your peers, in a collegial and non-threatening atmosphere. Feedback received during a poster session can be invaluable in refining your research and preparing for publication in a peer reviewed journal. ⋯ Poster sections include a title banner, the abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, conclusions, and tables and figures. Technical details of poster production include decisions on what materials and methods to use to print and display your poster, font size, whether to use a professional graphics department for production, and cost. Presentation of your research at a professional meeting can be a rewarding experience, and is a useful step toward publishing your research in a respected science journal.
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In some situations, tables, graphs, and figures can present certain types of information (including complicated relationships and sequences of events) more clearly and in less space than the same information would require in sentence form. However, do not use tables, graphs, and figures for small amounts of data that could be conveyed clearly and succinctly in a sentence. Also, do not reiterate in sentences the data that are shown in a table, graph, or figure: the point of creating a table or graph or figure is to eliminate that type of sentence from your manuscript. ⋯ In preparing a graph the most common error is to include a line that suggests an unsubstantiated extrapolation between or beyond the data points. In selecting the graph's axes, avoid truncating, enlarging, or compressing the axes in ways that might make the graph confusing or misleading. To prepare clear, accurate, easily interpretable tables, graphs, and figures, rely on the rules described in authoritative guides such as the Council of Science Editors' Scientific Style and Format and the American Medical Association's Manual of Style.
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The information in a case report should be viewed cautiously in terms of generalization beyond the reported example. Appropriately written and interpreted, however, a case report can be a valuable contribution to medical knowledge and educational for both author and reader. This article discusses the essential components of a case report, important issues of patient confidentiality, and how authorship should be determined. ⋯ These ways include seeking appropriate assistance with writing, documenting the case as thoroughly as possible, and carefully justifying any new technique or intervention. Authors are urged to expend the time and effort required to prepare the manuscript properly, using the journal's guidelines and paying special attention to illustrations and references, and also to have the manuscript read by a local colleague before formal submission. After submission, authors should view the receipt of reviewers' comments and subsequent manuscript revision as necessary and positive steps toward successful publication.
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For many people public speaking induces stress and fear, but with adequate planning, practice, and understanding of the "dos and don'ts" you can deliver presentations that will communicate your research clearly, succinctly, and with a professional and confident demeanor. This article provides a guide for the novice researcher to develop the skills to deliver several types of presentation and to minimize (and even make use of) the stress and fear. Planning and practice are the key to success.