Articles: mechanical-ventilation.
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Review
Hypoxaemic rescue therapies in acute respiratory distress syndrome: Why, when, what and which one?
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an inflammatory condition of the lungs which can result in refractory and life-threatening hypoxaemic respiratory failure. The risk factors for the development of ARDS are many but include trauma, multiple blood transfusions, burns and major surgery, therefore this condition is not uncommon in the severely injured patient. When ARDS is severe, high-inspired oxygen concentrations are frequently required to minimise hypoxaemia. ⋯ First line hypoxaemic rescue therapies include inhaled nitric oxide, prone positioning, alveolar recruitment manoeuvres and high frequency oscillatory ventilation, which have all been shown to be effective in improving oxygenation. In situations where these first line rescue therapies are inadequate extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation has emerged as a lifesaving second line rescue therapy. Rescue therapies in critically ill patients with traumatic injuries presents specific challenges and requires careful assessment of both the short and longer term benefits, therapeutic limitations, and specific adverse effects before their use.
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Review Meta Analysis
Benefits of early tracheotomy: a meta-analysis based on six observational studies.
Whether early tracheotomy can improve the clinical outcomes of critically ill patients remains controversial. The current study aimed to discuss the potential benefits of early tracheotomy compared to late tracheotomy with meta-analysis of observational studies. ⋯ Our meta-analysis of retrospective observational studies suggests that early tracheotomy performed between days 3 and 7 after intubation had some advantages, including decreased mortality and reduced ICU stay, hospital stay, and mechanical ventilation duration in ICU patients.
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Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Nov 2013
ReviewVentilatory strategies and supportive care in acute respiratory distress syndrome.
While antiviral therapy is an important component of care in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) following influenza infection, it is not sufficient to ensure good outcomes, and additional measures are usually necessary. Patients usually receive high levels of supplemental oxygen to counteract the hypoxemia resulting from severe gas exchange abnormalities. Many patients also receive invasive mechanical ventilation for support for oxygenation, while in resource-poor settings, supplemental oxygen via face mask may be the only available intervention. ⋯ While these measures are sufficient in most patients, a minority develop refractory hypoxemia and may receive additional therapies, including prone positioning, inhaled vasodilators, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, recruitment maneuvers followed by high PEEP, and neuromuscular blockade, although recent data suggest that this last option may be warranted earlier in the clinical course before development of refractory hypoxemia. Application of these "rescue strategies" is complicated by the lack of guidance in the literature regarding implementation. While much attention is devoted to these strategies, clinicians must not lose sight of simple interventions that affect patient outcomes including head of bed elevation, prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism and gastrointestinal bleeding, judicious use of fluids in the post-resuscitative phase, and a protocol-based approach to sedation and spontaneous breathing trials.
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Patients with acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) admitted to the ICU present neuropsychological alterations, which in most cases extend beyond the acute phase and have an important adverse effect upon quality of life. The aim of this review is to deepen in the analysis of the complex interaction between lung and brain in critically ill patients subjected to mechanical ventilation. This update first describes the neuropsychological alterations occurring both during the acute phase of ICU stay and at discharge, followed by an analysis of lung-brain interactions during mechanical ventilation, and finally explores the etiology and mechanisms leading to the neurological disorders observed in these patients. The management of critical patients requires an integral approach focused on minimizing the deleterious effects over the short, middle or long term.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Sep 2013
ReviewAcute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit: impact on managing uncertainty for patient-centered communication.
A case of acute lung injury (ALI) progressing to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (ETMV) is presented. The palliative medicine service was asked to address concerns expressed by the patient's spouse reflecting uncertainty regarding outcome expectations. Acknowledging and confronting the uncertainties of a critical illness is an essential component of patient-centered communication. ⋯ A case of of ALI/ARDS requiring ETMV in the ICU is used to illustrate the situation of an incapacitated critically ill patient where the outcome is uncertain. Patient-centered communication should acknowledge and address this uncertainty. Managing uncertainty consists of effectively expressing a carefully formulated prognostic assessment and using sound communication principles to alleviate the distress associated with the uncertain outcome probabilities.