Aust Crit Care
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Humidified high flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy is increasingly available in Australian adult intensive care units. Its use in paediatric populations has been extensively studied and has shown positive effects however its clinical effectiveness in adults has not been established. ⋯ Humidified high flow nasal cannula may be used as an intermediate therapy to improve oxygenation in adult critical care patients. Further research is required to determine the duration of effect of the therapy, identify the patient population for whom it is most beneficial and evaluate long-term outcomes; to enable definitive recommendations for practice to be made.
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Identification of the mortality reducing effect of lung protective ventilation using low tidal volumes and pressure limitation is one of the biggest advances in the application of mechanical ventilation. Yet studies continue to demonstrate low adoption of this style of ventilation. Critical care nurses in Australia and New Zealand have a high level of responsibility and autonomy for mechanical ventilation and weaning practices and therefore require in-depth knowledge of ventilator technology, its clinical application and the current evidence for effective ventilation strategies. ⋯ Lung protective ventilatory strategies are not consistently applied and weaning and extubation continue to be delayed. Critical care nurses need to establish a strong knowledge base to promote effective and appropriate management of patients requiring mechanical ventilation.
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Ventilator Associated Lung Injury (VALI) is an iatrogenic phenomena that significantly impacts on the morbidity and mortality of critically ill patients. The hazards associated with mechanical ventilation are becoming increasingly understood courtesy of a large body of research. ⋯ The majority of the research is based upon adult populations but with careful extrapolation this review will focus on paediatrics. This review article describes the physiological basis of VALI and discusses the various lung protective strategies that clinicians can employ to minimise its incidence and optimise outcomes for paediatric patients.