Respiratory care clinics of North America
-
Respir Care Clin N Am · Jun 1996
Historical ArticleA historical perspective on the use of noninvasive ventilatory support alternatives.
This article traces the development of mechanical ventilatory support methods from the use of body ventilators to tracheal cannulation to the use of noninvasive ventilatory support and airway secretion management alternatives. Although it has been known that tracheostomy tubes could be used for ventilatory support and airway secretion management since 1869, body ventilators continued to be the main methods of long-term ventilatory support in the United States, with tracheostomy performed only for patients with severe bulbar muscle dysfunction, until the late 1950s. Recent technological developments, however, have created renewed interest in noninvasive alternatives.
-
Most therapist-driven respiratory care protocols deal with adult care. The greatest difficulty we have encountered when implementing pediatric protocols involves patient assessment. We have found that with any protocol the key factor is to monitor closely the result of the treatment and to analyze that outcome and compare it with the purpose of the therapy. When careful clinical assessments are accomplished, pediatric protocols can be established.
-
In January of 1993, as part of a hospital-wide cost-reduction strategy, the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center Respiratory Care Department implemented a patient-driven protocol program designed to utilize the assessment skills and judgments of respiratory care staff, within physician-approved guidelines. This program produced a 60% reduction in the use of hand-held nebulizer therapy and chest physical therapy in the institution, with a substantial decrease in operational expenses. This article describes key elements of the implementation of protocol-driven programs, provides examples from the UCSD experience, and offers insights gained from others who have been successful agents of change. It describes patient-driven protocols, how they can be implemented, the barriers to and promoters of such protocols, and what the results can be for a respiratory care department.
-
Deaths from asthma are relatively uncommon but have continued to rise worldwide in the past few decades, despite a better understanding of the disease and an increased number of patient medications. This often is attributed to inadequate assessment and treatment of the disease. ⋯ Traditional and nontraditional therapies of acute asthma are discussed. Finally, complications of severe asthma and the long-term outcome are discussed, with appropriate preventive measures stressed strongly.
-
Capnography measures exhaled carbon dioxide and is most useful when applied directly to patient care. This is in circumstances of detecting misplacement of the tracheal tube, dysfunction of respiratory apparatuses, detection of abnormal lung function, successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and trending of deadspace changes. The least reliable application is to reflect alveolar ventilation (PaCO2). ⋯ The use of capnography in patients with severe respiratory failure should be applied with careful reflection. The increased V/Q mismatch that is consistent with a widened P(a-ET) gradient, as well as worsening hypercapnea with increased peripheral carbon dioxide production, can lead to erroneous PETCO2 values. Capnography may be least useful in the sickest patients.