Respiratory care
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Mechanical ventilation is a supportive treatment commonly applied in critically ill patients. Whenever the patient is spontaneously breathing, the pressure applied to the respiratory system depends on the sum of the pressure generated by the respiratory muscles and the pressure generated by the ventilator. Patient-ventilator interaction is of utmost importance in spontaneously breathing patients, and thus the ventilator should be able to adapt to patient's changes in ventilatory demand and respiratory mechanics. ⋯ Asynchronies are relatively frequent during mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients, and they are associated with poor outcomes. This review summarizes the different types of asynchronies and their mechanisms, consequences, and potential management. The development and understanding of monitoring tools are necessary to allow a better appraisal of this area, which may lead to better outcomes for patients.
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While medication is an integral component of the effective management of COPD, contemporary studies report that more than half of all people who are prescribed medication for the management of their COPD do not adhere to therapy. Enhancing medication adherence and improving health outcomes for those living with COPD are among the key challenges for the global health community. This systematic review aims to identify the rate of nonadherence among people who are prescribed controller medication for the management of their COPD, and identifies the barriers and facilitators that influence their medication use behavior. ⋯ Adherence to COPD medication was generally low, with the majority of studies identifying the presence of depression and subjects' concern about the harmful effects of the medicine as barriers to adherence. Variability exists on the reported rates of nonadherence, possibly due to different measures utilized to assess adherence. Future research in low-income nations is needed.
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High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is widely used in extubated patients. We aim to evaluate the effect of HFNC compared with conventional oxygen therapy in adults after cardiothoracic surgery. ⋯ HFNC may significantly reduce the need for the escalation of respiratory support and re-intubation rate, and might reduce the hospital stay. More high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to further validate our results.
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Observational Study
Dead Space to Tidal Volume Ratio Is Associated With Higher Postextubation Support in Children.
Extubation failure is associated with increased duration of mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, and mortality. An elevated dead-space-to-tidal-volume ratio (VD/VT) has been proposed as a predictor of successful extubation in children. We hypothesized that a higher VD/VT value would be associated with extubation failure and higher postextubation respiratory support. ⋯ There was no significant relationship between VD/VT and extubation success, although VD/VT was associated with the level of respiratory support provided following extubation. Further studies should investigate whether the use of VD/VT can help reduce extubation failure rates with varying levels of postextubation respiratory support.
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Advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) result in muscle weakness and the inability to generate an effective cough. Several factors influence the effectiveness of cough in patients with DMD. The aim of this study was to assess whether differences in positioning affect cough peak flow (CPF) and muscular electromyographic activation in subjects with DMD compared with paired healthy subjects. ⋯ In subjects with DMD, posture influenced CPF and the relative contribution of the rib cage and abdominal compartments to tidal volume. However, muscular electromyographic activation was not influenced by posture in subjects with DMD and healthy subjects.