Respiratory care
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Observational Study
Variation in Use of High-Flow Nasal Cannula and Noninvasive Ventilation Among Patients With COVID-19.
The use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 are recommended by critical-care guidelines; however, apprehension about viral particle aerosolization and patient self-inflicted lung injury may have limited use. We aimed to describe hospital variation in the use and clinical outcomes of HFNC and NIV for the management of COVID-19. ⋯ Hospital variation in the use of HFNC and NIV for acute respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 was great but was not associated with intubation or mortality. The wide variation and relatively low use of HFNC/NIV observed within our study signaled that implementation of increased HFNC/NIV use in patients with COVID-19 will require changes to current care delivery practices. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT04323787.).
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It remains unknown if pediatric patients failing initial noninvasive ventilation (NIV) experience worse clinical outcomes than those successfully treated with NIV or those primarily intubated. ⋯ We demonstrated that critically ill pediatric subjects unsuccessfully trialed on NIV did not experience increased ICU length of stay or fewer ventilator-free days when compared to those on invasive mechanical ventilation alone, including in the pediatric ARDS subgroup. Our findings are predicated on a median time to intubation of < 2 h in the NIV failure group and the provision of adequate monitoring while on NIV.
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Observational Study
Specialized Weaning Unit in the Trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 ARDS: Influence of Limb Muscle Strength on Decannulation and Rehabilitation.
Patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 may require tracheostomy and transfer to a weaning center. To date, data on the outcome of these patients are scarce. The objectives of this study were to determine the factors associated with time to decannulation and limb-muscle strength recovery. ⋯ MRC score at weaning center admission predicted both early decannulation and limb-muscle strength recovery.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has inundated hospitals with patients suffering from profound hypoxemia and placed a strain on health care systems around the world. Shortages of personnel, drugs, ventilators, and beds were predicted and, in many cases, came to fruition. ⋯ Oxygen in particular has been a concern for hospitals in terms of supply and distribution. This article outlines procedures for estimating medical gas flow limitations within health care organizations and also methods for estimating gas consumption.
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Observational Study
Frequency and Correlates of Pediatric High-Flow Nasal Cannula Use for Bronchiolitis, Asthma, and Pneumonia.
Heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a respiratory support device historically used in pediatrics for infants with bronchiolitis. No large-scale analysis has determined the current frequency or demographic distribution of HFNC use in children. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and correlates of HFNC use in children presenting to the hospital for asthma, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia. ⋯ The use of HFNC in children presenting to the hospital with common respiratory diseases has increased substantially over the past decade and is no longer confined to treating infants with bronchiolitis. Demographic and diagnostic factors significantly influenced the frequency of HFNC use.