Respiratory care
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High-flow nasal cannula therapy (HFNC) is widely used for patients with acute respiratory failure. HFNC has a number of physiological effects. Although FIO2 is considered to be constant, because HFNC is an open system, FIO2 varies according to inspiratory flow, tidal volume (VT), and HFNC gas flow. We investigated the influence of HFNC gas flow and other respiratory parameters on FIO2 during HFNC. ⋯ During HFNC with simulated spontaneous breathing, when HFNC gas flow was 60 L/min, measured FIO2 was similar to set FIO2 at 0.3 and 0.5, whereas at 0.7, as VT increased, measured FIO2 decreased slightly. However, at 20 or 40 L/min, changes in VT related with deviation from set FIO2 .
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The aim of this systematic review is to examine the benefit/risk ratio of the use of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) devices for airway clearance in patients with neuromuscular diseases. A search was conducted for relevant studies in MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and the Health Technology Assessment Database using the main key words: cough, airway clearance, in-exsufflation. The search limits were studies published in English and French between 1970 and 2014 (literature watch until December 2015). ⋯ Most European and American guidelines recommend the use of MI-E despite low-level evidence. However, even if performing comparative trials in a specific population is difficult, the medical device industry should provide reliable data to assist health-care professionals, providers, and payers in the decision-making process. This is the only way to ensure the best treatment for patients.
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Comparative Study
Stability and Agreement of a Microtransducer and an Air-Filled Balloon Esophageal Catheter in the Monitoring of Esophageal Pressure.
The use of esophageal catheters with microtransducer promises advantages over traditional catheters with air-filled balloons. However, performance comparisons between these 2 types of catheters are scarce and incomplete. ⋯ The catheter with the microtransducer had a small baseline pressure drift, similar to the air-filled balloon catheter. The low agreement between the catheters does not allow the microtransducer catheter to be used as a surrogate for the traditional air-filled balloon catheter.
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African-American smokers experience disproportionate COPD morbidity. As a front-line COPD behavioral management strategy, smoking cessation is less prevalent among African-American smokers. Identifying barriers and predictors to smoking cessation in this population is important to bridging this disparity. ⋯ Smoking cessation program attendance in this sample of mostly African-American smokers was poor. Increased knowledge about cessation benefits and access to full-course pharmacotherapy, particularly in those without a COPD diagnosis and who do not have a maternal history of cancer, may be high-priority targets to promote cessation program uptake in this population. Increased knowledge and access to safe forms of physical activity may also be beneficial.