Ventilatory support in the intensive care unit

This article focuses on the functional features of positive-pressure ventilators, the modes of invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation, and the main ventilator settings. It also highlights the potential complications of mechanical ventilation, the basic principles of weaning, and the pathophysiological basis of patient-ventilator dyssynchrony.     

Stress Testing Versus CT Angiography in Patients With Diabetes and Suspected Coronary Artery Disease

Background

The optimal noninvasive test (NIT) for patients with diabetes and stable symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknown.

Prevention of Descending Pneumonia in Rats with Perflubron-delivered Tobramycin

OBJECTIVES: Patients undergoing emergent endotracheal intubation are at increased risk for developing pneumonia. Although numerous strategies have been investigated to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), the incidence of VAP and its associated mortality remains high. This investigation tested the hypothesis that LiquiVent (Alliance Pharmaceutical, San Diego, CA-LV) delivered antibiotics (via spray-dried microspheres-SDM) would improve survival in a rat model of descending gram-negative pneumonia. METHODS: Wistar rats (n = 49) were randomized to receive prophylaxis with 1). nothing (controls); 2). intramuscular (IM) tobramycin, 3). intratracheal LV plus SDM shells (vehicle), 4). intratracheal LV plus SDM shells plus IM tobramycin, or 5). intratracheal LV plus SDM containing 1 mg/kg of tobramycin. All interventions were given 24 hours before a bacterial challenge with 10(8) colony-forming units of intratracheal Klebsiella pneumoniae. Mortality at ten days was the sole outcome measure. Survival in individual groups was compared with controls by Fisher's exact test with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: All animals in the control group died of pneumonia within ten days of bacterial inoculation (0% survival). Prophylaxis with either IM tobramycin or SDM vehicle plus IM tobramycin provided no protection (0% survival). This is in sharp contrast to the cohort receiving pretreatment with tobramycin-containing SDM delivered via LV, in which 60% of the animals survived to study completion (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylaxis with SDM containing antibiotics delivered in low-dose LV provided significant protection in a rat model of descending gram-negative pneumonia. These data support the hypothesis that perfluorocarbon-delivered intratracheal antimicrobials may be useful in the prevention of VAP.     

动脉顺应性及其影响因素

动脉顺应性又称动脉弹性，反映血管内皮功能。已成为预测心血管疾病的重要危险因素。无创测量动脉弹性的方法在临床上已有一定程度的应用。各种方法具有其各自适用范围及局限性。多种干预手段可以影响动脉弹性。合理测量及维持正常的动脉弹性可延缓多种心血管疾病的发生及发展。     

生物医学测量及控制技术新进展

介绍生物医学测量及控制技术领域中的一些研究进展。     

Termination Of Sustained Tachycardia By External Noninvasive Pacing

Invasive cardiac pacing has proved useful in the induction and termination of reentrant sustained tachycardias. In one of our two cases, programmed ventricular extra-stimulation was used to induce sustained ventricular tachycardia from the endocardial surface of the right ventricle. Induced ventricular tachycardia was terminated by burst ventricular pacing with an external cardiac pacemaker. In our second patient, external pacing was effective at inducing and terminating sustained supraventricular tachycardia. These patients illustrate that the principles of terminating sustained reentrant tachycardia with invasive pacing may also apply to noninvasive external pacing. The usefulness of this approach in treating reentrant tachycardias needs further evaluation.     

Prognostic value of supine scintigraphic heart function and simultaneous conventional exercise response in patients after myocardial infarction

A total of 240 survivors of one or more myocardial infarctions were consecutively admitted to perform supine exercise radionuclide ventriculography. Within 3 years after the test, 22 died; this group was compared to an age-matched control group of 22 survivors for left and right ventricular function during rest, exercise, and simultaneously assessed exercise performance as well as ECG variables. Evaluation of 3-year survival by linear discriminant analysis revealed an accuracy of 82% for discriminant models using ECG and exercise performance variables. Implementation of resting left ventricular ejection fraction and change of right ventricular ejection fraction during exercise, as well as scintigraphic presence or absence of dyskinesia, improved the accuracy of the model to 91% of correctly classified patients.     

山莨菪碱和无创面罩正压通气治疗急性呼吸窘迫综合征的临床观察

目的比较山莨菪碱联合无创正压面罩通气（654-2＋NIPPV）和传统机械通气（CMV）治疗急性呼吸窘迫综合征（ARDS）的临床效果，评估山莨菪碱联合无创正压通气在ARDS治疗中的作用。方法将各种原因所致ARDS患者42例随机分为654-2＋NIPPV组（21例）和CMV组（21例），在给予病因治疗同时分别实施654-2＋NIPPV和CMV。观察分析两组患者在治疗过程中动脉血气变化、并发症的发生率及治疗效果。结果654-2＋NIPPV组有8例（38．1％）治疗失败转为气管插管实行CMV，其中6例（28．6％）死亡。CMV组死亡7例（33．3％），两组病死率无显著差异（P〉0.05）。两组治疗有效的患者在分别接受654-2＋NIPPV和CMV治疗后1h和6h动脉血气有相似的显著改善。654-2＋NIPPV组患者机械通气时间和住院时间短于CMV组（P〈0.05）。654-2＋NIPPV组的并发症发生率低于CMV组（P〈0.05）。结论在经过选择的ARDS患者中，应用654-2＋NIPPV治疗的临床效果与CMV相似。实施654-2＋NIPPV可缩短机械通气和住院时间，减少并发症。654-2＋NIPPV可作为经过选择的ARDS患者首选的通气支持治疗手段。     

鸟牌呼吸机故障及排除三例

呼吸机在国内外医院广泛应用，详细介绍鸟牌呼吸机在临床上3例常见的故障和排除方法。