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This review addresses the current understanding of atelectasis-induced lung injury. The pathophysiology of this process affecting surfactant function, cytokine modulation and translocation of bacteria play an ever-growing role in ventilator-associated lung injury. Lung recruitment and the ability to decrease atelectasis may thus affect outcomes. Several modalities to decrease atelectasis and open the lung will be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical tree also known as kratom, is an emerging substance of abuse with dose-dependent stimulant and opioid-like effects. Kratom may be purchased legally in the United States and is marketed online as a safe alternative to opioids and a cheap alternative to opioid replacement therapy. However, adverse reactions to ingestion are largely unknown and may pose a significant public health risk. This article describes a man with an intracerebral hemorrhage possibly secondary to kratom ingestion., (Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Physician Assistants.)

Background: There is still no specific treatment strategies for COVID-19 other than supportive management., Design: A prospective case-control study determined by admittance to the hospital based on bed availability., Participants: Eighteen patients with COVID-19 infection (laboratory confirmed) severe pneumonia admitted to hospital between 20th March and 19th April 2020. Patients admitted to the hospital during the study period were assigned to different beds based on bed availability. Depending on the bed the patient was admitted, the treatment was ozone autohemotherapy or standard treatment. Patients in the case group received ozonated blood twice daily starting on the day of admission for a median of four days. Each treatment involved administration of 200 mL autologous whole blood enriched with 200 mL of oxygen-ozone mixture with a 40 μg/mL ozone concentration., Main Outcomes: The primary outcome was time from hospital admission to clinical improvement., Results: Nine patients (50%) received ozonated autohemotherapy beginning on the day of admission. Ozonated autohemotherapy was associated with shorter time to clinical improvement (median [IQR]), 7 days [6-10] vs 28 days [8-31], p = 0.04) and better outcomes at 14-days (88.8% vs 33.3%, p = 0.01). In risk-adjusted analyses, ozonated autohemotherapy was associated with a shorter mean time to clinical improvement (-11.3 days, p = 0.04, 95% CI -22.25 to -0.42)., Conclusion: Ozonated autohemotherapy was associated with a significantly shorter time to clinical improvement in this prospective case-control study. Given the small sample size and study design, these results require evaluation in larger randomized controlled trials., Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04444531., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pneumonia caused by coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, has been spread around the world already becoming a pandemic. Unfortunately, there is not yet a specific vaccine or effective antiviral drug for treating COVID-19. Many of these patients deteriorate rapidly and require intubation and are mechanically ventilated, which is causing the collapse of the health system in many countries due to lack of ventilators and intensive care beds. In this document we review two simple adjuvant therapies to administer, without side effects, and low cost that could be useful for the treatment of acute severe coronavirus infection associated with acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). VitaminC, a potent antioxidant, has emerged as a relevant therapy due to its potential benefits when administered intravenous. The potential effect of vitaminC in reducing inflammation in the lungs could play a key role in lung injury caused by coronavirus infection. Another potential effective therapy is ozone: it has been extensively studied and used for many years and its effectiveness has been demonstrated so far in multiples studies. Nevertheless, our goal is not to make an exhaustive review of these therapies but spread the beneficial effects themselves. Obviously clinical trials are necessaries, but due to the potential benefit of these two therapies we highly recommended to add to the therapeutic arsenal., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Non-invasive ventilation has gained an increasingly pivotal role in the treatment of acute hypoxemic and/or hypercapnic respira-tory failure and offers multiple advantages over invasive mechanical ventilation. Some of these advantages include the preserva-tion of airway defense mechanisms, a reduced need for sedation, and an avoidance of complications related to endotracheal intubation. Despite its advantages, non-invasive ventilation has some contraindications that include, among them, severe encephalopathy. In this review article, the rationale, evidence, and drawbacks of the use of noninvasive ventilation in the context of hypercapnic and non-hypercapnic patients with an altered level of consciousness are analyzed.

Fewer than 2% of all peripartal patients need intensive care unit admission. But due to some anatomic and physiologic changes in pregnancy, respiratory failure can be promoted. This article reviews several obstetric and nonobstetric diseases that lead to respiratory failure and the treatment of these. Furthermore, invasive and noninvasive ventilation in pregnancy is discussed and suggestions of medication during ventilation are given., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Trauma patients are a diverse population with heterogeneous needs for ventilatory support. This requirement depends mainly on the severity of their ventilatory dysfunction, degree of deterioration in gaseous exchange, any associated injuries, and the individual feasibility of potentially using a noninvasive ventilation approach. Noninvasive ventilation may reduce the need to intubate patients with trauma-related hypoxemia. It is well-known that these patients are at increased risk to develop hypoxemic respiratory failure which may or may not be associated with hypercapnia. Hypoxemia in these patients is due to ventilation perfusion mismatching and right to left shunt because of lung contusion, atelectasis, an inability to clear secretions as well as pneumothorax and/or hemothorax, all of which are common in trauma patients. Noninvasive ventilation has been tried in these patients in order to avoid the complications related to endotracheal intubation, mainly ventilator-associated pneumonia. The potential usefulness of noninvasive ventilation in the ventilatory management of trauma patients, though reported in various studies, has not been sufficiently investigated on a large scale. According to the British Thoracic Society guidelines, the indications and efficacy of noninvasive ventilation treatment in respiratory distress induced by trauma have thus far been inconsistent and merely received a low grade recommendation. In this review paper, we analyse and compare the results of various studies in which noninvasive ventilation was applied and discuss the role and efficacy of this ventilator modality in trauma.

Malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening disorder caused by exposure to certain anesthetics. Prompt recognition and intervention is crucial. This article focuses on preoperative patient screening as well as perioperative and postoperative recognition and management.

The aim of this article was to review the role of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in acute pulmonary infectious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H1N1 and tuberculosis, and to assess the risk of disease transmission with the use of NIV from patients to healthcare workers. We performed a clinical review by searching Medline and EMBASE. These databases were searched for articles on "clinical trials" and "randomised controlled trials". The keywords selected were non-invasive ventilation pulmonary infections, influenza-A (H1N1), SARS and tuberculosis. These terms were cross-referenced with the following keywords: health care workers, airborne infections, complications, intensive care unit and pandemic. The members of the International NIV Network examined the major results regarding NIV applications and SARS, H1N1 and tuberculosis. Cross-referencing mechanical ventilation with SARS yielded 76 studies, of which 10 studies involved the use of NIV and five were ultimately selected for inclusion in this review. Cross-referencing with H1N1 yielded 275 studies, of which 27 involved NIV. Of these, 22 were selected for review. Cross-referencing with tuberculosis yielded 285 studies, of which 15 involved NIV and from these seven were selected. In total 34 studies were selected for this review. NIV, when applied early in selected patients with SARS, H1N1 and acute pulmonary tuberculosis infections, can reverse respiratory failure. There are only a few reports of infectious disease transmission among healthcare workers.

Over the last decade, data from the lay press, government agencies, and the business world have identified ever-growing problems with electronic distraction and changes in human relationships in this electronically interconnected planet. As health professionals, we are well aware of the epidemic growth of injuries and deaths related to texting and driving. It should not surprise us that this distracted behavior has affected all levels of health-care providers and has impacted patient care. This advent of “distracted doctoring” was first coined by the Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent Matt Richtel in a landmark article in the New York Times, “As doctors use more devices, potential for distraction grows.” This article was a flashpoint for professional organizations to reflect on this change in behavior and how it will impact patient safety and how we relate to patients. The explosion in technology (both personnel and hospital-based), coupled with a rapid social shift, creates an environment that constantly tempts health-care workers to surf the internet, check social media outlets, or respond to e-mails. Studies and commentaries in the medical literature only support how this is a growing problem in patient safety and may both increase medical errors and affects costs and the way we relate to patients and fellow staff. The Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) released its annual list of technology hazards for 2013, and three ring true for United States caregivers: distractions from smartphones and mobile devices, alarm hazards, and patient/data mismatches in electronic medical records and other health IT systems, all being in the top 10. How do we begin to address these new technological threats to our patients? First and foremost, we accept that this problem exists. We begin by educating our students and staff that this electronic explosion affects our behavior through addiction and the environment within our hospital through the use of electronic medical records, alarms, and alerts that may impact vigilance and affect our focus. These educational and policy changes should, at their core, address human-to-technology interfacing and teach electronic etiquette. How we approach patients should always have at its core the ancient adage “know thyself”; in other words, always practice self-examination in our daily interactions with technology.

Objectives: Hourly neurologic assessments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the critical care setting are common practice but prolonged use may actually be harming patients through sleep deprivation. We reviewed practice patterns at our institution in order to gain insight into the role of frequent neurological assessments., Methods: A 6-month retrospective review was performed for patients who were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with the diagnosis of TBI. Electronic medical records were reviewed based on billing codes. Variables collected included but were not limited to patient demographics, frequency of nursing neurologic evaluations, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), length of stay (LOS), and disposition., Results: A total of 124 patients were identified, 71% male with the average age of 52 years (range 19-96). Traumatic brain injury was classified as severe in 44, moderate in 18, and mild in 62 patients. A total of 89 (71.8%) patients underwent hourly nursing assessments for an average of 2.82 days. The median LOS for all patients was 7 days (range 0-109). There were 18 patients who remained on hourly neurological assessments for greater than 4 days and had a greater LOS (23 days vs 9 days, P  =  0.001). Only two patients required surgery after 48 hours, both for chronic subdural hematomas., Discussion: Hourly neurologic checks are necessary in the acute period for patients with potentially expansible intracranial hemorrhages or malignant cerebral edema, but prolonged use may be harmful. Patients with a low probability of requiring neurosurgical intervention may benefit from reducing the total duration of hourly assessments.

Severe sepsis and septic shock continue to be among of the leading causes of death in intensive care unit patients, carrying an estimated mortality rate between 30% and 50%. This article provides an evidence-based focused review of sepsis, including an update on management strategies based on the most recent guidelines published by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign.

General anesthesia and mechanical ventilation impair pulmonary function, even in normal individuals, and result in decreased oxygenation in the postanesthesia period. They also cause a reduction in functional residual capacity of up to 50% of the preanesthesia value. It has been shown that pulmonary atelectasis is a common finding in anesthetized individuals because it occurs in 85% to 90% of healthy adults. Furthermore, there is substantial evidence that atelectasis, in combination with alveolar hypoventilation and ventilation-perfusion mismatch, is the core mechanism responsible for postoperative hypoxemic events in the majority of patients in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). Many concomitant factors also must be considered, such as respiratory depression from the type and anatomical site of surgery altering lung mechanics, the consequences of hemodynamic impairment and the residual effects of anesthetic drugs, most notably residual neuromuscular blockade. The appropriate use of anesthetic and analgesic techniques, when combined with meticulous postoperative care, clearly influences pulmonary outcomes in the PACU. The present review emphasizes the major pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment strategies of critical respiratory events in the PACU to provide health care workers with the knowledge needed to prevent such potentially adverse outcomes from occurring.

Non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) has proved to be an excellent technique in selected critically ill patients with different forms of acute respiratory failure. However, NIV can fail on account of the severity of the disease and technical problems, particularly at the interface. The helmet could be an alternative interface compared to face mask to improve NIV success. We performed a clinical review to investigate the main physiological and clinical studies assessing the efficacy and related issues of NIV delivered with a helmet. A computerized search strategy of MEDLINE/PubMed (January 2000 to May 2012) and EMBASE (January 2000 to May 2012) was conducted limiting the search to retrospective, prospective, nonrandomized and randomized trials. We analyzed 152 studies from which 33 were selected, 12 physiological and 21 clinical (879 patients). The physiological studies showed that NIV with helmet could predispose to CO₂ rebreathing and increase the patients' ventilator asynchrony. The main indications for NIV were acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (community-acquired pneumonia, postoperative and immunocompromised patients) and hypercapnic acute respiratory failure. In 9 of the 21 studies the helmet was compared to a face mask during either continous positive airway pressure or pressure support ventilation. In eight studies oxygenation was similar in the two groups, while the intubation rate was similar in four and lower in three studies for the helmet group compared to face mask group. The outcome was similar in six studies. The tolerance was better with the helmet in six of the studies. Although these data are limited, NIV delivered by helmet could be a safe alternative to the face mask in patients with acute respiratory failure.