Resp Care
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We evaluated the performance and safety of five adult disposable operator-powered resuscitators: BagEasy, Bag Mask Resuscitator, Pulmanex, 1st Response, and Stat Blue. ⋯ Although we do not have practical experience with these resuscitators, we conclude that only 1st Response and BagEasy meet the ASTM standard for operator-powered resuscitators and that, of the devices tested, only the 1st Response and BagEasy are acceptable replacements for permanent resuscitators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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A number of mouth-to-mask ventilation devices have become commercially available in the past several years. In this study, we compared the volumes delivered by eight of these devices to the volumes delivered by mouth-to-mouth ventilation. ⋯ We found considerable variability between the volumes delivered with commercially available mouth-to-mask ventilation devices. Although the volumes delivered during mouth-to-mask technique were less than those delivered with mouth-to-mouth technique, the volumes delivered by some of the mouth-to-mask devices were large enough to allow them to be substituted for mouth-to-mouth technique.
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Because our Respiratory Care Department resources were overburdened and many orders for medicated aerosol therapy (MAT) and lung hyperinflation therapy (LHT) seemed inappropriate, we developed ordering guidelines for MAT and LHT. We then studied the effects on numbers of inappropriate treatments when therapist-evaluators discussed questionable orders with physicians. ⋯ The use of ordering guidelines and therapist-evaluators who interact with physicians can significantly reduce the number of inappropriate respiratory care treatments and reduce costs.
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The development of an expanded understanding of employees' reaction to their job may be important for improvement in the quality of work life and of services rendered. We sought to determine the factors, or rewards, that significantly affect respiratory therapists' job satisfaction. ⋯ Because satisfaction with work on the job and supervision seem to be rewards therapists consider important, managers need to evaluate those factors in their own organization in relation to their possible impact upon staff members.