Recenti progressi in medicina
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
[Continuous positive airway pressure in acute pulmonary edema. application in a general medical ward].
The application of a Continuous Positive pressure to Patient's airway (CPAP) represents one of the most important respiratory treatments during Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF) due to Acute Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema (ACPE). Thanks to its hemodynamic and ventilatory effects, CPAP improves clinical and gasanalytic parameters and lead to a decrease of mortality and need of intubation in these patients. CPAP can be applied with different devices: ventilators, Venturi-like flow generators and Boussignac's device. ⋯ The two CPAP's devices resulted similar in term of effectiveness. Boussignac's device has shown a better tolerability: this characteristic, together with the simple use, should stimulate the diffusion of this device where a flow generator or a ventilator are not present (outside Intensive Care Units, for example in General Medical Wards).