Journal of clinical monitoring and computing
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J Clin Monit Comput · Jun 2010
Comparative StudyThe mean prehospital machine; accurate prehospital non-invasive blood pressure measurement in the critically ill patient.
Non-invasive blood pressure recordings may be inaccurate in the critically ill patient and measurement difficulties are intensified in the prehospital setting. This may adversely impact upon outcomes for many critically ill patients, particularly those with traumatic brain injury and/or lengthy prehospital times. This study aimed to validate a non-invasive, oscillometric, ambulatory blood pressure measuring device, the Oscar 2, Model 222 (SunTech Medical, Morrisville, USA) during the ambulance transport of critically ill patients. ⋯ When the Oscar 2 does not indicate a fault has occurred, clinicians may be confident the mean pressure, within acceptable limits, is accurate, even during ambulance motion, administration of high doses of vasopressors and mechanical ventilation. The Oscar 2 appears to be an accurate and rugged out-of-hospital device.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Jun 2010
The standard strong ion difference, standard total titratable base, and their relationship to the Boston compensation rules and the Van Slyke equation for extracellular fluid.
A general formalism for calculating physiological acid-base balance in multiple compartments is extended to the combined interstitial, plasma, and erythrocyte multicompartment system in humans using the Siggaard-Andersen approximation for interstitial fluid. The resulting equations for total titratable base and strong ion difference reproduce the experimental in vivo carbon dioxide titration curve as well as the experimental strong ion difference value of the interstitial, plasma, and erythrocyte system in normal man. The "Boston rules" for compensation in acute respiratory acidosis and alkalosis are then derived analytically from the model. The Van Slyke equation for the interstitial, plasma, and erythrocyte system is also derived and shown to approximate the Van Slyke equation for standard base excess.
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Numerous possibilities exist which may cause obstruction to ventilation under anesthesia resulting in a tight reservoir bag with low compliance. We report an interesting case where a reservoir bag twisted around its own neck and resulted in a tight bag situation. ⋯ We caution all anesthesiologists using the disposable modified Jackson-Rees breathing system to be aware of such an eventuality. We also urge the manufacturer to consider strengthening the neck of the reservoir bag by improving the quality of the material used for its construction.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Apr 2010
Review Meta AnalysisVentilator-associated pneumonia: current status and future recommendations.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common hazardous complication in ICU patients. The aim of the current review is to give an update on the current status and future recommendations for VAP prevention. ⋯ EBPG consensus includes: elevation of the head of the bed, use of daily "sedation vacations" and decontamination of the oropharynx. Technological solutions should aim to use the most comprehensive combination of subglottic suction of secretions, optimization of ETT cuff pressure and ultrathin cuffs. VAP is a type of hospital-acquired pneumonia that develops more than 48 h after endotracheal intubation. Its incidence is estimated to be 9-27%, with a mortality of 25-50% [Am J Respir Crit Care Med 171:388-416 (2005), Am J Med 85:499-506 (1988), Chest 122:2115-2121 (2002), Intensive Care Med 35:9-29 (2009)]. The most important target in VAP handling is its prevention. The aim of this article is to review the pathogenesis, epidemiology and the different strategies/technologies for prevention of VAP.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Apr 2010
Case ReportsLeak in the breathing circuit: CO2 absorber and human error.
A couple of reports in literature have mentioned CO2 absorbers to be the cause for breathing circuit leak during anesthesia. Defective canister, failure to close the absorber chamber and overfilling of the chamber with sodalime were the problems in these reports. Among these, the last two are reports of human error resulting in problems. We report a case where despite taking precautions in this regard, we experienced a significant leak in the system due to a problem with the CO2 absorber, secondary to human error.