Respiratory care
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Prone position (PP) has been used since the 1970s to treat severe hypoxemia in patients with ARDS because of its effectiveness at improving gas exchange. Compared with the supine position (SP), placing patients in PP effects a more even tidal volume distribution, in part, by reversing the vertical pleural pressure gradient, which becomes more negative in the dorsal regions. PP also improves resting lung volume in the dorsocaudal regions by reducing the superimposed pressure of both the heart and the abdomen. ⋯ Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials suggest that PP provides a survival advantage only in patients with relatively severe ARDS (PaO2 /FIO2 < 150 mm Hg). Moreover, survival is enhanced when patients are managed with a smaller tidal volume (≤ 8 mL/kg), higher PEEP (10-13 cm H2O), and longer duration of PP sessions (> 10-12 h/session). Combining adjunctive therapies (high PEEP, recruitment maneuvers, and inhaled vasodilators) with PP has an additive effect in improving oxygenation and may be particularly helpful in stabilizing gas exchange in very severe ARDS.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Acute Mucociliary Clearance Response to Aerobic Exercise in Smokers.
Mucociliary clearance is the main defense mechanism of the respiratory system, and it is influenced by several stimuli, including aerobic exercise and cigarette smoking. We evaluated the acute response of mucociliary clearance to aerobic exercise in smokers and nonsmokers compared with that found after acute smoking and smoking combined with exercise. Also, we investigated whether there was a correlation between mucociliary clearance and the autonomic nervous system under these conditions. ⋯ Although impaired in smokers, mucociliary clearance responded to the stimulus of exercise, as demonstrated by similar STTs compared with nonsmokers. This response was correlated with the autonomic nervous system in both groups. In smokers, mucociliary clearance also responded to the stimuli of smoking and exercise followed by smoking.
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Review Meta Analysis
Systematic Review of Inspiratory Muscle Training After Cerebrovascular Accident.
This systematic review examines levels of evidence and recommendation grades of various therapeutic interventions of inspiratory muscle training in people who have had a stroke. Benefits from different levels of force and resistance in respiratory muscles are shown in this population. This review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) directives and was completed in November 2014. ⋯ One specific study compared 3 inspiratory muscle training groups with a group of breathing exercises (diaphragmatic exercises with pursed lips) and a control group. Future long-term studies with larger sample sizes are needed. It is necessary to apply respiratory muscle training as a service of the national health system and to consider its inclusion in the conventional neurological program.
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Pressure ulcers (stages III and IV) are serious safety events (ie, never events). Healthcare institutions are no longer reimbursed for costs to care for affected patients. Medical devices are the leading cause of pediatric pressure ulcers. Face masks for noninvasive ventilation were associated with a high percentage of pressure ulcers at our institution. ⋯ This fit method is currently being utilized to select best-fit masks from available options, to identify the potential areas of increased tissue pressure, and to prevent skin injuries and their complications. Improvement of mask fit is an important priority for improving respiratory outcomes. Strategies to maintain normal skin hydration are important for protecting tissue integrity.
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Volumetric capnography dead-space measurements (physiologic dead-space-to-tidal-volume ratio [VD/VT] and alveolar VD/VT) are considered more accurate than the more readily available time-based capnography dead-space measurement (end-tidal alveolar dead-space fraction [AVDSF]). We sought to investigate the correlation between volumetric capnography and time-based capnography dead-space measurements. ⋯ In mechanically ventilated children without significant hypoxemia or with cardiac output-related dead-space changes, physiologic VD/VT was highly correlated with AVDSF and alveolar VD/VT. In children with significant hypoxemia, physiologic VD/VT was poorly correlated with AVDSF. Alveolar VD/VT and AVDSF correlated well in most tested circumstances. Therefore, AVDSF may be useful in most children for alveolar dead-space monitoring.