Respiratory care
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Editorial Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of Proportional Assist Ventilation Plus, T-Tube Ventilation, and Pressure Support Ventilation as Spontaneous Breathing Trials for Extubation: A Randomized Study.
Failure to wean can prolong ICU stay, increase complications associated with mechanical ventilation, and increase morbidity and mortality. The spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) is one method used to assess weaning. The aim of this study was to assess proportional assist ventilation plus (PAV+) as an SBT by comparing its applicability, safety, and efficacy with T-tube and pressure support ventilation (PSV). ⋯ No significant differences in the groups was observed regarding the rate of extubation failure, duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU and hospital stay, indicating that PAV+ is an alternative for use as an SBT.
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Bronchiectasis may change cognitive function. The mechanism responsible for cognitive dysfunction in COPD may be neuronal damage caused by hypoxia. Cognitive function in patients with bronchiectasis is also likely to be affected by similar mechanisms. The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and determinants of low cognitive ability in subjects with stable bronchiectasis. ⋯ Low cognitive ability in subjects with bronchiectasis may be associated with reduced lung function, more serious hypoxemia, and higher depressive symptoms. Subjects with bronchiectasis and low cognitive ability feel more intense dyspnea than do those with high cognitive ability.
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The injurious effects of alveolar overdistention are well accepted, and there is little debate regarding the importance of pressure and volume limitation during mechanical ventilation. The role of recruitment maneuvers is more controversial. Alveolar recruitment is desirable if it can be achieved, but the potential for recruitment is variable among patients with ARDS. ⋯ A PEEP level should be selected that balances alveolar recruitment against overdistention. The easiest approach to select PEEP might be according to the severity of the disease: 5-10 cm H2O PEEP in mild ARDS, 10-15 cm H2O PEEP in moderate ARDS, and 15-20 cm H2O PEEP in severe ARDS. Recruitment maneuvers and PEEP should be used within the context of lung protection and not just as a means of improving oxygenation.
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Comparative Study
Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhalers Versus Nebulizers in the Treatment of Mechanically Ventilated Subjects With Artificial Airways: An In Vitro Study.
The primary focus of previous aerosol research during mechanical ventilation was the endotracheal tube (ETT). Consequently, there are limited data in the literature on the delivery of inhaled medications administered with different aerosol devices in mechanically ventilated patients with a tracheostomy tube (TT). The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare the efficiency of aerosol devices in a lung model of an intubated and mechanically ventilated adult with a TT. ⋯ Aerosol drug delivery via a TT was greater than with an ETT, whereas the delivery efficiency of a pMDI via either airway was greater than that of a jet nebulizer.
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The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of bronchiectasis, anxiety and depression, and parameters of disease severity on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in subjects with COPD. ⋯ The presence of bronchiectasis in subjects with COPD does not impact HRQOL and psychological disorders. However, disease severity, dyspnea levels, and anxiety scores predict poor HRQOL.