Articles: mechanical-ventilation.
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Ventilator graphic monitoring is common in ICUs. The graphic information provides clinicians with immediate clues regarding patient-ventilator interaction and ventilator function. These display tools are aimed at reducing complications associated with mechanical ventilation, such as patient-ventilator asynchrony. ⋯ Ventilator graphics impact mechanical ventilation management through optimizing effectiveness of patient care and enhancing promptness of clinician response. Despite being a valuable asset in providing high-quality patient care, many bedside clinicians do not have a thorough understanding of ventilator graphics. Mastery of ventilator graphics interpretation is key in managing patients who are receiving ventilatory support.
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The estimation of pleural pressure with esophageal manometry has been used for decades, and it has been a fertile area of physiology research in healthy subject as well as during mechanical ventilation in patients with lung injury. However, its scarce adoption in clinical practice takes its roots from the (false) ideas that it requires expertise with years of training, that the values obtained are not reliable due to technical challenges or discrepant methods of calculation, and that measurement of esophageal pressure has not proved to benefit patient outcomes. Despites these criticisms, esophageal manometry could contribute to better monitoring, optimization, and personalization of mechanical ventilation from the acute initial phase to the weaning period. This review aims to provide a comprehensive but comprehensible guide addressing the technical aspects of esophageal catheter use, its application in different clinical situations and conditions, and an update on the state of the art with recent studies on this topic and on remaining questions and ways for improvement.
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Conceptually, the "control of gut overgrowth" (COGO) is key in mediating prevention against infection with Gram-negative bacilli by topical antibiotic prophylaxis, a common constituent of selective digestive decontamination (SDD) regimens. However, the relative importance of the other SDD components, enteral and protocolized parenteral antibiotic prophylaxis, versus other methods of infection prevention and versus other contextual exposures cannot be resolved within individual studies. ⋯ Structural equation modeling of published Gram-negative bacillus infection data enables a test of the COGO concept. Paradoxically, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas bacteremia incidences are unusually high among studies of topical antibiotic prophylaxis.
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The current coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemia is a highly dynamic situation characterized by therapeutic and logistic uncertainties. Depending on the effectiveness of social distancing, a shortage of intensive care respirators must be expected. Concomitantly, many physicians and nursing staff are unaware of the capabilities of alternative types of ventilators, hence being unsure if they can be used in intensive care patients. ⋯ Modern transport ventilators are mainly for bridging purposes as they can only be used with 100% oxygen in contaminated surroundings. Unconventional methods, such as "ventilator-splitting", which have recently received increasing attention on social media, cannot be recommended. This review intends to provide an overview of the conceptual and technical differences of different types of mechanical ventilators.