Articles: intubation.
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Central airway stenosis is a life-threating requiring immediate medical intervention. There are several options for treating central airway stenosis, including rigid bronchoscopy, bronchoscopic high-power laser therapy, high-frequency electric needle knife, and balloon-expanding stents. However, interventional techniques may be unavailable in an emergent situation or at smaller local hospitals. In this case report, we publicly demonstrate for the first time that a tracheal intubation catheter may be applied as a temporary alternative to interventional bronchoscopic treatment. ⋯ In emergent situations, tracheal intubation catheters may be used in patients with post-tracheotomy central airway stenosis, not only for surviving the most dangerous phase but for also prolonging the survival time for further treatments.
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Several intensive-care units (ICUs) in Wuhan are nonstandard wards that were repurposed from general wards. Considering the shortage of medical resources and the need to prevent nosocomic infection, the respiratory-treatment strategy in these nonstandard ICUs is different from those in general wards and standard ICUs. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) plays an important role in nonstandard ICUs and is beneficial to the patients therein. ⋯ Patients with severe and critical COVID-19 often have poor prognoses after mechanical ventilation, exhibiting corresponding complications such as ventilator-associated pneumonia and deep-vein thrombosis, which significantly prolongs length of stay in the ICU. HFNC could prevent intubation in some patients, thereby avoiding the above complications; however, this needs confirmation in further clinical studies. This treatment reduced difficulty and workloads for healthcare professionals, had good tolerability for patients, might not significantly increase the risk of infection for healthcare professionals, and do not require additional preventive measures against nosocomic infection. HFNC treatment has its advantages in providing oxygen therapy in COVID-19, but healthcare professionals should still pay close attention to changes in patients' oxygenation rates and respiratory frequency.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
GlideScope® versus C-MAC®(D) videolaryngoscope versus Macintosh laryngoscope for double lumen endotracheal intubation in patients with predicted normal airways: a randomized, controlled, prospective trial.
The double lumen endotracheal tube (DLT) is the most widely-used device for single lung ventilation in current thoracic anesthesia practice. In recent years, the routine application of the videolaryngoscope for single lumen endotracheal intubation has increased; nevertheless there are few studies of the use of the videolaryngoscope for DLT. We wondered whether there were benefits to using the videolaryngoscope for DLT placement in patients with predicted normal airways. Therefore, this study was designed to compare the performances of the GlideScope®, the C-MAC®(D) videolaryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope in DLT intubation. ⋯ Compared with the Macintosh laryngoscope, the GlideScope® and C-MAC®(D) videolaryngoscopes may not be recommended as the first choice for routine DLT intubation in patients with predicted normal airways.
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Approximately 12% to 15% of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection require invasive ventilation via endotracheal intubation. The key to minimizing risk of disease transmission during this aerosol-generating procedure is careful preparation, which includes having necessary equipment and medications on hand as well as an experienced intubation team who can troubleshoot any unforeseen complications. Personal protective equipment should be donned and doffed in the presence of an assistant (ie, "buddy" system).