Respiratory care
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Despite the established causal relationship between tobacco smoking and cancer, many cancer patients continue to smoke after diagnosis. This partly reflects ignorance of the beneficial effects of smoking cessation, even after diagnosis. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effects of continuing or quitting smoking in patients with diagnosed cancer. ⋯ Continued smoking after cancer diagnosis is related to reduced treatment efficacy and reduced survival, increased risk for second primary malignancies, and deterioration of quality of life.
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Editorial
Analysis of Radial Artery Catheter Placement by Respiratory Therapists Using Ultrasound Guidance.
The use of ultrasound (US) guidance for radial artery cannulation has been shown to improve first attempt success rate, reduce time to successful cannulation, and reduce complications. We sought to determine whether properly trained respiratory therapists (RTs) could utilize US guidance for the placement of radial artery catheters. Primary outcome measurements were successful cannulation and first attempt success rate. Secondary outcomes included the effect of systolic blood pressure, prior attempts, palpable pulse strength, and gender in relation to US-guided radial artery cannulation success rates. ⋯ RTs can effectively utilize US technology to place radial artery catheters. Systolic blood pressure, prior attempts, and gender are not reliable predictors of success for US-guided radial artery cannulation. Training on the use of US should be strongly encouraged for all practitioners who place radial artery catheters.
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Cough is part of life in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Weak coughing may add to increased respiratory disease that affects the mechanical properties of cough in these patients. In this study, we investigated cough characteristics in relation to forced expiratory flow/volume indices in CF. ⋯ The cough flow/volume maneuver reveals abnormalities in cough velocities and volume. A low secondary spike correlates with FEV1 severity level. The method may lead to earlier intervention to assist cough in CF.
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The performance of spirometers is often measured only under ideal conditions, with a mechanical simulator reproducing the expiratory standard American Thoracic Society (ATS) curves generated by a computer. Studies have questioned the value of these results in real-life conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and precision of 5 office spirometers with a flow-volume simulator using the ATS curves and using flow-volume curves obtained from patients. ⋯ The global quality of most spirometers makes them acceptable for the detection of pulmonary diseases. However, we demonstrated accuracy issues not shown by the standard testing procedure. We propose to improve the testing of spirometers by implementing more realistic flow-volume curves and to refine the analysis of the results.
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Following unsuccessful treatment with noninvasive ventilation (NIV), patients requiring subsequent placement on invasive mechanical ventilation have a high mortality rate. Invasive mechanical ventilation is particularly problematic in patients with acute respiratory failure due to bronchiectasis exacerbation, as it is associated with a mortality rate of 19-35% and prolonged ICU stay. Here, we describe the successful management of a patient with exacerbated non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis using a pump-assisted venovenous system for extracorporeal CO2 removal (ProLUNG system) as an alternative to endotracheal intubation following NIV failure. The extracorporeal CO2 removal system proved to be safe and efficacious in this case study, and further studies focusing on its use in these types of cases seem warranted.