OBJECTIVE To assess whether the respiratory rate to tidal volume ratio (RVR) measured while receiving automatic tube compensation (ATC) [RVRATC] would have a better predictive value as a weaning measure than unassisted RVR. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING General ICU of a tertiary-care university hospital. PATIENTS Forty-three patients who received mechanical ventilation for > 24...

Background. Atelectasis is known to develop during anaesthesia and after operation atelectasis leads to impaired oxygenation. Lung recruitment manoeuvres, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) have been proposed for reduction of atelectasis but their benefits have not been shown to persist after operation. We proposed that a combination of these...

To set the foundation to develop a disease-based, operation-specific model to predict the outcome of pediatric airway reconstruction surgery, we performed a retrospective database review of children operated on at a single, tertiary-care children's hospital. Over the 12-year period 1988 to 2000, a total of 1,296 airway reconstruction procedures were performed. Out of these, charts were identifi...

Abstract Background Cuff leak test (CLT) has been used widely to assess upper airway patency before extubation but with low positive predictive value. Aim To the diagnostic accuracy of column width ratio (ACWR) in predicting postextubation stridor (PES). Patients and methods 50 who intubated >24 hours were observed for reintubation. Laryngeal ultrasound was done measure ACW ETT cuff defl...

INTRODUCTION Based on the hypothesis that failure of weaning from mechanical ventilation is caused by respiratory demand exceeding the capacity of the respiratory muscles, we evaluated whether extubation failure could be characterized by increased respiratory drive and impaired efficiency to generate inspiratory pressure and ventilation. METHODS Airway pressure, flow, volume, breathing freque...

BACKGROUND Preoperative vocal cord paralysis is a risk factor for postoperative respiratory distress following extubation after general anesthesia. We present an unusual case where a geriatric patient developed airway obstruction after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. CASE PRESENTATION A 67-year-old male, who had suffered from left vocal cord paralysis of unknown etiology, was sched...

OBJECTIVE To examine the value of therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy on subsequent ventilator weaning in ventilated patients with major airway obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective review of the medical records of patients who were receiving mechanical ventilation up to the time of rigid bronchoscopy over the period from September 1994 to January 1999. The setting is in an acute tertia...