Respiratory care
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Significant concern exists regarding the respiratory health of military personnel deployed to Southwest Asia, given their exposures to numerous environmental hazards. Although the deployed military force is generally assumed to be fit, the pre-deployment respiratory health of these individuals is largely unknown. ⋯ Pre-deployment evaluation of military personnel identified numerous soldiers with active pulmonary symptoms and abnormal spirometry. When combined with questions regarding asthma history, wheezing and exercise intolerance, spirometry may identify individuals at risk for deployment-related respiratory complaints.
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Heliox (helium-oxygen mixture) has been shown to reduce turbulence and improve aerosol delivery in a range of clinical settings. We questioned whether heliox as compared with oxygen via high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) would affect aerosol delivery. We hypothesized that heliox would have a significant effect on aerosol delivery as compared with oxygen with both quiet and distressed breathing patterns. ⋯ With a distressed breathing pattern, aerosol delivery was greater at 30 and 50 L/min than with a quiet breathing pattern. Trends toward higher inhaled dose with heliox during HFNC were not significant.
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Tubing systems are an essential component of the ventilation circuit, connecting the ventilator to the patient's airways. Coaxial tubing systems incorporate the inspiratory tube within the lumen of the expiratory one. We hypothesized that by design, these tubing systems increase resistance to air flow compared with conventional ones. ⋯ Our findings suggest that the use of coaxial tubing systems should be carefully considered with respect to their increased resistance.