Respiratory care
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The respiratory therapist has had integrated adjuncts to improve mucus clearance for decades. However, there is a lack of literature describing the impact of these interventions on specific patient populations, resulting in an inability to make recommendations about the use of devices and techniques. The purpose of this article is to review recent literature regarding airway clearance therapies in a manner that is most likely to have interest to the readers of Respiratory Care.
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In adults and children, patient-ventilator synchrony is strongly dependent on both the ventilator settings and interface used in applying positive pressure to the airway. The aim of this bench study was to determine whether different interfaces and ventilator settings may influence patient-ventilator interaction in pediatric models of normal and mixed obstructive and restrictive respiratory conditions. ⋯ The choice of the interface can influence patient-ventilator synchrony in a pediatric model breathing at increased f, thus making it more difficult to set the ventilator, particularly during noninvasive ventilation. The helmet demonstrated the worst interaction, suggesting that the face mask should be considered as the first choice for delivering noninvasive ventilation in a pediatric model.
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Acute lower respiratory infections can impair muscle strength in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). When associated with an increase in load on the respiratory system, this situation may precipitate hypercapnic respiratory failure in non-ventilated patients with ALS. The aim of this study was to determine whether a clinical or functional parameter can predict the need for noninvasive ventilation (NIV) during an acute respiratory infection for medically stable, non-ventilated patients with ALS. ⋯ In medically stable, non-ventilated patients with ALS, measurement of percent-of-predicted FVC and peak cough flow can predict the need for NIV during an acute lower respiratory tract infection.
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Transbronchial needle aspiration using endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS-TBNA), a new minimally invasive diagnostic procedure, has been used to evaluate intrathoracic lymph nodes. It has been reported that EBUS-TBNA can be performed safely under sedation and provides a high level of patient satisfaction. We aimed to describe perianesthetic data, and compare results regarding the agents of subjects undergoing EBUS-TBNA under deep sedation. ⋯ Independent from the sedative agent, deep sedation can be safe, and provide high patient satisfaction during EBUS-TBNA. The combination of ketamine with propofol or midazolam required lower doses of these anesthetics. However, the incidence of increased blood pressure was higher in groups administered ketamine. Recovery time was the shortest in group P, and the longest in group PKM. There was no relation between recovery time and total dose of anesthetics or presence of chronic disease.