BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pressure ulcers are commonly acquired in pediatric institutions, and they are a key indicator of the standard and effectiveness of care. We recognized a high rate of tracheostomy-related pressure ulcers (TRPUs) in our ventilator unit and instituted a quality improvement program to develop and test potential interventions for TRPU prevention, condensed them into a clini...

We developed an in vitro model to evaluate the effect of different cuffed endotracheal tubes (ETTs) on transtracheal transmission of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) pathogens along external surfaces of ETTs. The model independently assessed the relative contributions of microbial proliferation to the distal tip and microaspiration of contaminated secretions past the cuff by testing in thr...

The purpose of this descriptive study was to evaluate feeding aspirations in adult patients receiving long-term mechanical ventilatory support, including the incidence of aspirations, the frequency of silent (clinically inapparent) aspirations, and differences between aspirators and nonaspirators. Aspiration data were determined by review of videofluoroscopic (VF) tapes of modified barium swall...

Larry Fennigkoh is a professor of biomedical engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering. E-mail: fennigko@ msoe.edu There is no question that the most effective way to respond to a question is with a set of relevant facts. Facts are generally irrefutable; colloquially we say, “The facts speak for themselves.” A database is nothing more than a convenient vehicle for collecting, organizing, a...

A modified naso-endotracheal tube is described which facilitates prolonged intermittent positive pressure ventilation of the lungs in infants and children. A crosspiece allows connection widi the inspiratory and expiratory tubes of a drcle-type mechanical ventilator. The technique of intubation and of securing ths nasal tube to the patient is described in detaiL The tube has been used in 126 pa...

1. Pneumatikos IA, Dragoumanis CK, Bouros DE: Ventilator-associated pneumonia or endotracheal tube-associated pneumonia? An approach to the pathogenesis and preventive strategies emphasizing the importance of endotracheal tube. ANESTHESIOLOGY 2009; 110:673–80 2. Berra L, Curto F, Li Bassi G, Laquerriere P, Baccarelli A, Kolobow T: Antibacterial-coated tracheal tubes cleaned with the Mucus Shave...

There is a paucity of low-fidelity and cost-efficient simulators for training cardiac surgeons in the aspects of aortic root/valve replacement. In this study we addressed this training challenge by creating a low-fidelity, low-cost but, at the same time, anatomically realistic aortic root replacement simulator for training purposes. We used readily available, low cost materials such as lint rol...

background: dielectric barrier discharge (dbd), a source of non-thermal plasma, is used in surface decontamination. objective: to study the effect of dbd plasma treatment, we evaluated the effect of plasma exposure time on inactivation of bacillus subtilis. results: applying the dbd plasma to the culture of b. subtilis caused complete sterilization of the surface without any thermal effects. in...

BACKGROUND Endotracheal tubes are frequently used to establish alternate airways. Precise placement of the tubes must be maintained to prevent serious complications. Several methods for fixation of endotracheal tubes are available. Available methods vary widely in form and functionality. Due to the unpredictable and dynamic nature of circumstances surrounding intubation, thorough evaluation of ...

BACKGROUND In recent years there has been renewed interest in the use of air ionizers to control the spread of infection in hospitals and a number of researchers have investigated the biocidal action of ions in both air and nitrogen. By comparison, the physical action of air ions on bacterial dissemination and deposition has largely been ignored. However, there is clinical evidence that air ion...