Biomedical instrumentation & technology / Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation
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Biomed Instrum Technol · Jan 2011
Comparative StudyNasal cannula, CPAP, and high-flow nasal cannula: effect of flow on temperature, humidity, pressure, and resistance.
Delivery of warm, humidified, supplemental oxygen via high-flow nasal cannula has several potential benefits; however, the high-flow range may not maintain humidification and temperature and in some cases may cause excessive expiratory pressure loading. ⋯ Gas delivered by HFNC was more humid than NC and CPAP. However, the higher pressure and resistance delivered by the HFNC system may have clinical relevance, such as increased work of breathing, and warrants further in vivo studies.
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Biomed Instrum Technol · Jan 2011
Cardiopulmonary monitors and clinically significant events in critically ill children.
Cardiopulmonary monitors (CPMs) generate false alarm rates ranging from 85%-99% with few of these alarms actually representing serious clinical events. The overabundance of clinically insignificant alarms in hospitals desensitizes the clinician to true-positive alarms and poses significant safety issues. In this IRB-approved externally funded study, we sought to assess the clinical conditions associated with true and false-positive CPM alarms and attempted to define optimal alarm parameters that would reduce false-positive alarm rates (as they relate to clinically significant events) and thus improve overall CPM performance in critically ill children. ⋯ This study provided the necessary considerations for the proper design of a future study that improves the positive predictive value of CPM alarms. In addition, this investigation has resulted in improved awareness of CPM alarm parameter settings and associated false-positive alarms. This information has been incorporated into nursing educational programs.