Monaldi archives for chest disease = Archivio Monaldi per le malattie del torace / Fondazione clinica del lavoro, IRCCS [and] Istituto di clinica tisiologica e malattie apparato respiratorio, Università di Napoli, Secondo ateneo
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Dec 1994
Impact of heat and moisture exchangers on ventilatory pattern and respiratory mechanics in spontaneously breathing patients.
The upper airways warm and saturate inspired air with water vapour. In intubated or tracheotomized patients, this function is replaced either by hot water humidifiers or by heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs). The aim of this study was to quantify the modifications of ventilatory mechanics and patients' work when two different HMEs were added to spontaneously breathing patients. ⋯ The larger HME (Mediflux 1) increased patient's effort, with no evidence of patient discomfort. However, the smaller HME (Mediflux 2) did not add a detectable load and provided adequate humidification. In conclusion, the smaller HME appears to be preferable for the management of spontaneously breathing patients.
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Inspiratory muscles can be exerted to their maximal limits during situations of: 1) high ventilatory demands, such as in exercise; and 2) during cases of high force demands, as in obstructive or restrictive diseases. In either circumstance, the level of sustainable activity (many hours) seems to be about half of the subject's maximal ventilatory capacity (MVC) or their maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), respectively. ⋯ When this type of patient suffers a pathology that further decreases their global respiratory muscle function or increases their load, we have the makings of an unweanable patient; the mechanical ventilator ultimately replaces the lost inspiratory muscle function. Given time for the muscle to recover force and a reduction of the loads should, thus, be the therapeutic focus.