Factors Associated with Having Uncontrolled Asthma in Rural Appalachia.

BACKGROUND: Chronic respiratory disease disproportionately affects residents of Appalachia, particularly those residing in Central Appalachia. Asthma is particularly burdensome to Central Appalachian residents regarding cost and disability. Improving our understanding of how to mitigate these burdens requires understanding the factors influencing asthma control among individuals with asthma living in Central Appalachia, specifically rural Kentucky. METHODS: This community-based, cross-sectional epidemiologic study used survey data to identify characteristics associated with uncontrolled and controlled asthma. The designation of "uncontrolled asthma" was based on self-report of ≥ 2 asthma exacerbations in the past year. Individuals with ≤ 1 or no exacerbations were considered to have controlled asthma. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests assessed the association between categorical variables and asthma control categories. Logistic regression was conducted to determine the impact of factors on the likelihood of uncontrolled asthma. RESULTS: In a sample of 211 individuals with self-reported asthma, 29% (n = 61, 46 females) had uncontrolled asthma. Predictors of uncontrolled asthma included depression (odds ratio 2.61, 95% CI 1.22-5.61, P = .014) and living in multi-unit housing (odds ratio 4.99, 95% CI 1.47-16.96, P = .010) when controlling for age, sex, financial status, and occupation. Being overweight or obese was not a predictor of uncontrolled asthma. Physical activity and BMI did not predict the likelihood of uncontrolled asthma. CONCLUSION: This study highlights significant challenges rural communities in Appalachian Kentucky face in managing asthma. Factors like depression, housing conditions, and a lack of self-management strategies play pivotal roles in asthma control in this population.

The effects of flow settings during high-flow nasal cannula support for adult subjects: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: During high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy, flow plays a crucial role in the physiological effects. However, there is no consensus on the initial flow settings and subsequent titration. Thus, we aimed to systematically synthesize the effects of flows during HFNC treatment. METHODS: In this systematic review, two investigators independently searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane for in vitro and in vivo studies investigating the effects of flows in HFNC treatment published in English before July 10, 2022. We excluded studies that investigated the pediatric population (< 18 years) or used only one flow. Two investigators independently extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. The study protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022345419. RESULTS: In total, 32,543 studies were identified, and 44 were included. In vitro studies evaluated the effects of flow settings on the fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2), positive end-expiratory pressure, and carbon dioxide (CO2) washout. These effects are flow-dependent and are maximized when the flow exceeds the patient peak inspiratory flow, which varies between patients and disease conditions. In vivo studies report that higher flows result in improved oxygenation and dead space washout and can reduce work of breathing. Higher flows also lead to alveolar overdistention in non-dependent lung regions and patient discomfort. The impact of flows on different patients is largely heterogeneous. INTERPRETATION: Individualizing flow settings during HFNC treatment is necessary, and titrating flow based on clinical findings like oxygenation, respiratory rates, ROX index, and patient comfort is a pragmatic way forward.

Emotional impact of compassionate extubation on respiratory therapists and nurses: A pilot study.

Background: Compassionate extubation (CE) refers to withdrawing mechanical ventilation and allowing a patient to die peacefully at the end of life. The primary objective of this pilot study was to quantify the emotional impact of CE on Respiratory Therapists (RT) and Registered Nurses (RNs). Methods: This pilot survey was conducted between March and April 2021 at an academic medical center among RTs and RNs. It included questions on participants' demographics, work characteristics, and Impact of Events (IES) scale to assess the subjective stress caused by CE. Data were analyzed using descriptive and χ2 statistics. Results: Among 20 participants, 18 (90%) were females, 12 (60%) were in the 20-40-year age group, 12 (60%) were RTs, and 8 (40%) RNs. Around 15 (75%) participants worked day shifts with a weekly average of 3-4 shifts, and 14 (70%) performed/observed CE within 1 month before taking this survey. CE performed/observed in a month was ≤2 among 15 (75%) and 3-5 among 4 (20%) participants. Mean total IES score was 16.7 (12.3) among all participants representing 7 (35%) having low, 6 (30%) moderate, and 7 (35%) high emotional impact when performing CE. Risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was present in 6 (30%) participants. A significantly higher number of participants in the low impact group were satisfied with the institutional CE process (p = 0.043) than those in the medium/high impact group. Conclusion: This pilot study findings reveal that RTs and RNs experience moderate to high levels of subjective stress when performing CE. One-third of the survey participants were at risk of developing PTSD.

Early versus late awake prone positioning in non-intubated patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Awake prone positioning (APP) is widely used in the management of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The primary objective of this study was to compare the outcome of COVID-19 patients who received early versus late APP. METHODS: Post hoc analysis of data collected for a randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04325906). Adult patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 who received APP for at least one hour were included. Early prone positioning was defined as APP initiated within 24 h of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) start. Primary outcomes were 28-day mortality and intubation rate. RESULTS: We included 125 patients (79 male) with a mean age of 62 years. Of them, 92 (73.6%) received early APP and 33 (26.4%) received late APP. Median time from HFNC initiation to APP was 2.25 (0.8-12.82) vs 36.35 (30.2-75.23) hours in the early and late APP group (p < 0.0001), respectively. Average APP duration was 5.07 (2.0-9.05) and 3.0 (1.09-5.64) hours per day in early and late APP group (p < 0.0001), respectively. The early APP group had lower mortality compared to the late APP group (26% vs 45%, p = 0.039), but no difference was found in intubation rate. Advanced age (OR 1.12 [95% CI 1.0-1.95], p = 0.001), intubation (OR 10.65 [95% CI 2.77-40.91], p = 0.001), longer time to initiate APP (OR 1.02 [95% CI 1.0-1.04], p = 0.047) and hydrocortisone use (OR 6.2 [95% CI 1.23-31.1], p = 0.027) were associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Early initiation (< 24 h of HFNC use) of APP in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 improves 28-day survival. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04325906.

Prone positioning for patients intubated for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to COVID-19: a retrospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The role of repeated prone positioning in intubated subjects with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by COVID-19 remains unclear. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of critically ill intubated patients with COVID-19 who were placed in the prone position between March 18, 2020 and March 31, 2020. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, reintubation, and previous prone positioning at a referring hospital. Patients were followed up until hospital discharge. The primary outcome was oxygenation assessed by partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (Pao2/Fio2) ratio. A positive response to proning was defined as an increase in Pao2/Fio2 ratio ≥20%. Treatment failure of prone positioning was defined as death or requirement for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). RESULTS: Forty-two subjects (29 males; age: 59 [52-69] yr) were eligible for analysis. Nine subjects were placed in the prone position only once, with 25 requiring prone positioning on three or more occasions. A total of 31/42 (74%) subjects survived to discharge, with five requiring ECMO; 11/42 (26%) subjects died. After the first prone positioning session, Pao2/Fio2 (mean (standard deviation)) ratio increased from 17.9 kPa (7.2) to 28.2 kPa (12.2) (P<0.01). After the initial prone positioning session, subjects who were discharged from hospital were more likely to have an improvement in Pao2/Fio2 ratio ≥20%, compared with those requiring ECMO or who died. CONCLUSION: Patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome frequently responded to initial prone positioning with improved oxygenation. Subsequent prone positioning in subjects discharged from hospital was associated with greater improvements in oxygenation.

An evaluation of manual tidal volume and respiratory rate delivery during simulated resuscitation.

INTRODUCTION: Excessive minute ventilation during cardiac arrest may cause lung injury and decrease the effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, little is known about how clinicians deliver tidal volumes and respiratory rates during CPR. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, licensed practitioners attending an American Heart Association (AHA) Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course performed CPR and manual ventilation on a high-fidelity simulator during the megacode portion of the course. Delivered tidal volumes and respiratory rates were measured on a monitor. During the first scenario, results were not displayed to participants, but were displayed during the second scenario. RESULTS: Fifty-two clinicians participated in this study. Average height was 169 (157,178) cm. Pre-monitor display tidal volumes delivered were larger in male participants compared to female participants (684.6 ± 134.4 vs 586.7 ± 167.6 ml, P = 0.05). Those using medium-sized gloves delivered smaller tidal volumes than those using small or large gloves. Twenty-two (42.3%) delivered tidal volume in the range of 5-8 ml/kg of predicted body weight for the simulation manikin, and 35 (67.3%) delivered tidal volumes with >20% variability among breaths. All participants met the target respiratory rate around 10 breaths/min. CONCLUSION: Tidal volume delivery varied greatly during manual ventilation and fewer than half participants delivered tidal volume at 5-8 ml/kg to the manikin. Sex and glove size appeared to impact tidal volume delivery when the participants were unaware of what they were delivering. Participants were able to meet the target respiratory rate around 10 without audio or visual feedback.

A Survey of Feeding Practices During High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy.

BACKGROUND: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is used to deliver warm and humidified gases to patients in respiratory failure. A purported advantage of HFNC oxygen therapy is that it can allow for oral feeding while on the device, although few data support this practice. The purpose of this study was to identify practices and opinions with regard to feeding practices during HFNC oxygen therapy. METHODS: A survey related to the practice and opinions of feeding practices during HFNC oxygen therapy was developed and sent to respiratory therapists, speech-language pathologists, physicians, advanced practice providers, and registered dietitians. RESULTS: Respondents included 307 professionals from 14 different countries. Most respondents worked in an academic/teaching hospital (n = 174 [56.7%]) with patients ages ≥ 18 years (n = 282 [91.9%]). Most respondents stated that their institution did not have a specific feeding protocol for HFNC oxygen therapy (n = 246 [80.4%]) and felt that patients could have an oral diet during HFNC oxygen therapy if not in imminent danger of being intubated (n = 264 [86.3%]). Fewer than half of the respondents felt that patients should have a bedside/clinical swallow examination before eating and/or drinking during HFNC oxygen therapy (n = 143 [46.7%]). By profession, most physicians/advanced practice providers (n = 67 [59.3%]), respiratory therapists (n = 37 [62.7%]) and half of the registered dietitians (n = 16 [50%]) felt that bedside/clinical swallow examinations were unnecessary before eating and/or drinking with HFNC, but speech-language pathologists were in favor (n = 77 [75.5%]). CONCLUSIONS: Most facilities did not have a protocol to guide feeding practices when HFNC oxygen therapy is used. Most clinicians felt that an oral diet is safe for stable patients not in danger of being intubated. In general, speech-language pathologists felt that patients on HFNC oxygen therapy should undergo a bedside/clinical swallow examination before eating and/or drinking.

Evaluation of a Closed Suction System With Integrated Tube-Scraping Technology.

BACKGROUND: Endotracheal tube (ETT) scraping or sweeping refers to mucus removal from an ETT that can increase airway resistance. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of ETT scraping on the duration of mechanical ventilation, time to first successful spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), duration of hospital stay, and occurrence of ventilator-associated events (VAEs). METHODS: This was a single-center, randomized clinical trial of adult subjects intubated between October 2019-October 2021. Subjects were randomly assigned to either ETT suctioning via a standard in-line suction catheter (control group) or ETT suctioning and scraping via a suction catheter with balloon-sweeping technology (experimental group). Airway suctioning was performed as clinically indicated, and the ETT was scraped every time a respiratory therapist suctioned the subject. The study outcome was duration of mechanical ventilation, time to first successful SBT, hospital length of stay, and VAE rate. Intent-to-treat statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Of 272 randomized subjects, the median age was 63 (interquartile range [IQR] 52-73) y; 143 (53%) were males, and 154 (57%) had a primary diagnosis of acute respiratory failure. There were no significant differences between the groups in median duration (h) of mechanical ventilation (72 [37-187] vs 70.6 [37-148], P = .58). There was no significant difference between the study groups in median time (h) to the first successful SBT (46.7 [IQR 30-87] vs 45.7 [IQR 27-95], P = .81), length of hospital stay (P = .76), the incidences of ventilator-associated conditions (P = .13), or infection-related ventilator-associated complications (P = .47). CONCLUSIONS: ETT suctioning plus scraping, compared to ETT suctioning alone, did not significantly improve the duration of mechanical ventilation, time to first successful SBT, length of hospital stay, and VAEs. These study findings do not support the routine use of ETT scraping for mechanically ventilated patients.

COVID-19 Lessons Learned: Prone Positioning With and Without Invasive Ventilation.

Prone positioning (PP) has been used extensively for patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation for hypoxemic respiratory failure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that PP was beneficial during the pandemic, as it improves oxygenation and might improve chances of survival, especially in those with a continuum of positive oxygenation responses to the procedure. Additionally, the pandemic drove innovation regarding PP, as it brought attention to awake PP (APP) and the value of an interdisciplinary team approach to PP during a pandemic. APP appears to be safe and effective at improving oxygenation; APP may also reduce the need for intubation in patients requiring advanced respiratory support like high-flow nasal cannula or noninvasive ventilation. Teams specifically assembled for PP during a pandemic also appear useful and can provide needed assistance to bedside clinicians in the time of crisis. Complications associated with PP can be mitigated, and a multidisciplinary approach to reduce the incidence of complications is recommended.

AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines: Artificial Airway Suctioning.

Artificial airway suctioning is a key component of airway management and a core skill for clinicians charged with assuring airway patency. Suctioning of the artificial airway is a common procedure performed worldwide on a daily basis. As such, it is imperative that clinicians are familiar with the most-effective and efficient methods to perform the procedure. We conducted a systematic review to assist in the development of evidence-based recommendations that pertain to the care of patients with artificial airways. From our systematic review, we developed guidelines and recommendations that addressed questions related to the indications, complications, timing, duration, and methods of artificial airway suctioning. By using a modified version of the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, the following recommendations for suctioning were developed for neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients with an artificial airway: (1) breath sounds, visual secretions in the artificial airway, and a sawtooth pattern on the ventilator waveform are indicators for suctioning pediatric and adult patients, and an acute increase in airway resistance may be an indicator for suctioning in neonates; (2) as-needed only, rather than scheduled, suctioning is sufficient for neonatal and pediatric patients; (3) both closed and open suction systems may be used to safely and effectively remove secretions from the artificial airway of adult patients; (4) preoxygenation should be performed before suctioning in pediatric and adult patients; (5) the use of normal saline solution should generally be avoided during suctioning; (6) during open suctioning, sterile technique should be used; (7) suction catheters should occlude < 70% of the endotracheal tube lumen in neonates and < 50% in pediatric and adult patients, and suction pressure should be kept below -120 mm Hg in neonatal and pediatric patients and -200 mm Hg in adult patients; (8) suction should be applied for a maximum of 15 s per suctioning procedure; (9) deep suctioning should only be used when shallow suctioning is ineffective; (10) routine bronchoscopy for secretion removal is not recommended; and (11) devices used to clear endotracheal tubes may be used when airway resistance is increased due to secretion accumulation.

A Scoring Tool That Identifies the Need for Positive-Pressure Ventilation and Determines the Effectiveness of Allocated Respiratory Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and the need for positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) are significant postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) that increase patients' lengths of stay, mortality, and costs. Current tools used to predict PPCs use nonmodifiable preoperative factors; thus, they cannot assess provided respiratory therapy effectiveness. The Respiratory Assessment and Allocation of Therapy (RAAT) tool was created to identify HAP and the need for PPV and assist in assigning respiratory therapies. This study aimed to assess the RAAT tool's reliability and validity and determine if allocated respiratory procedures based on scores prevented HAP and the need for PPV. METHODS: Electronic medical record data for nonintubated surgical ICU subjects scored with the RAAT tool were pulled from July 1, 2015-January 31, 2016, using a consecutive sampling technique. Sensitivity, specificity, and jackknife analysis were generated based on total RAAT scores. A unit-weighted analysis and mean differences of consecutive RAAT scores were analyzed with RAAT total scores ≥ 10 and the need for PPV. RESULTS: The first or second RAAT score of ≤ 5 (unlikely to receive PPV) and ≥ 10 (likely to receive PPV) provided a sensitivity of 0.833 and 0.783 and specificity of 0.761 and 0.804, respectively. Jackknifed sensitivity and specificity for identified cutoffs above were 0.800-0.917 and 0.775-0.739 for the first RAAT score and 0.667-0.889 and 0.815-0.79 for the second RAAT score. The initial RAAT scores of ≥ 10 predicted the need for PPV (P < .001) and was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (P < .001). Mean differences between consecutive RAAT scores revealed decreasing scores did not need PPV. CONCLUSIONS: The RAAT scoring tool demonstrated an association with the need for PPV using modifiable factors and appears to provide a quantitative method of determining if allocated respiratory therapy is effective.

Management of Postoperative Hypoxemia.

Hypoxemia is common in postoperative patients and is associated with prolonged hospital stays, high costs, and increased mortality. This review discusses the postoperative management of hypoxemia in regard to the use of conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, CPAP, and noninvasive ventilation. The recommendations made are based on the currently available evidence.

Reliability of Smartphone Pulse Oximetry in Subjects at Risk for Hypoxemia.

BACKGROUND: Pulse oximeters are used to measure [Formula: see text] and pulse rate. These devices are either standalone machines or integrated into physiologic monitoring systems. Some smartphones now have pulse oximetry capabilities. Because it is possible that some patients might utilize this technology, we sought to assess the accuracy and usability of smartphone pulse oximeters. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study that involved noninvasive measurements of [Formula: see text] and heart rate with 3 devices: Masimo Radical-7, Kenek Edge with the Apple iPhone 6S, and the Samsung S8 smartphone. Ambulatory adult patients visiting our institution's pulmonary function lab for a 6-min walk test were eligible to participate in the study. Pretest and posttest results for each subject were obtained simultaneously using all 3 devices. All results were analyzed with the Spearman rho correlation test, and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the agreement of measures between the devices. RESULTS: Forty-seven subjects were enrolled in the study, with pulmonary hypertension (30%) and COPD (23%) being the 2 major diagnoses. The mean ± SD difference between the Masimo and Apple devices for pretest [Formula: see text] was 2.3 ± 2.4%, and the difference for posttest [Formula: see text] was 2.1 ± 3.9%. The mean difference between the Masimo and Samsung devices for pretest [Formula: see text] was 3.2 ± 2.8%, and the difference for posttest [Formula: see text] was 2.4 ± 3.5%. The number of subjects who were unable to obtain [Formula: see text] was higher with the Samsung device than with the Apple device in both pretest (14 of 47 vs 3 of 47) and posttest (17 of 47 vs 5 of 47). In contrast, the Masimo device was able to measure [Formula: see text] in all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Smartphone pulse oximeters were unreliable compared to a hospital pulse oximeter. Further research is needed with evolving technology to better understand smartphone pulse oximetry. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT03534271.).

Optimizing high-flow nasal cannula flow settings in adult hypoxemic patients based on peak inspiratory flow during tidal breathing.

BACKGROUND: Optimal flow settings during high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy are unknown. We investigated the optimal flow settings during HFNC therapy based on breathing pattern and tidal inspiratory flows in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF). METHODS: We conducted a prospective clinical study in adult hypoxemic patients treated by HFNC with a fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) ≥ 0.4. Patient's peak tidal inspiratory flow (PTIF) was measured and HFNC flows were set to match individual PTIF and then increased by 10 L/min every 5-10 min up to 60 L/min. FIO2 was titrated to maintain pulse oximetry (SpO2) of 90-97%. SpO2/FIO2, respiratory rate (RR), ROX index [(SpO2/FIO2)/RR], and patient comfort were recorded after 5-10 min on each setting. We also conducted an in vitro study to explore the relationship between the HFNC flows and the tracheal FIO2, peak inspiratory and expiratory pressures. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients aged 58.0 (SD 14.1) years were enrolled. At enrollment, HFNC flow was set at 45 (38, 50) L/min, with an FIO2 at 0.62 (0.16) to obtain an SpO2/FIO2 of 160 (40). Mean PTIF was 34 (9) L/min. An increase in HFNC flows up to two times of the individual patient's PTIF, incrementally improved oxygenation but the ROX index plateaued with HFNC flows of 1.34-1.67 times the individual PTIF. In the in vitro study, when the HFNC flow was set higher than PTIF, tracheal peak inspiratory and expiratory pressures increased as HFNC flow increased but the FIO2 did not change. CONCLUSION: Mean PTIF values in most patients with AHRF were between 30 and 40 L/min. We observed improvement in oxygenation with HFNC flows set above patient PTIF. Thus, a pragmatic approach to set optimal flows in patients with AHRF would be to initiate HFNC flow at 40 L/min and titrate the flow based on improvement in ROX index and patient tolerance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03738345). Registered on November 13th, 2018. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03738345?term=NCT03738345&draw=2&rank=1.

Monitoring Breathing Frequency, Pattern, and Effort.

Monitoring respiratory values such as breathing frequency, minute ventilation, breathing effort, and dyspnea are common in acute care. There is evidence that accurate monitoring and interpretation of these values leads to early identification and treatment of impending respiratory failure. Despite this evidence, some values, such as breathing frequency, are largely undervalued in the clinical setting. The undervaluation of breathing frequency is complex and will require a multifaceted approach, including education and improved technology, to reestablish its clinical potential. Many questions remain regarding how to most efficiently and effectively monitor other respiratory values, like noninvasive minute volume and breathing effort, as well. As technology continues to improve alongside the understanding of respiratory physiology, clinicians are able to apply basic clinical assessment skills and technology together to improve patient safety and outcomes.

Year in Review 2019: High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy for Adult Subjects.

Many high-quality clinical trials and meta-analyses on the utilization of high-flow nasal cannula for adult patients have been published in the last 2 years. This review summarizes the recent clinical evidence, with the aim to provide the currently available evidence regarding the utilization of high-flow nasal cannula for the adult patient.

Ventilators for Noninvasive Ventilation in Adult Acute Care.

The use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is common in adult acute care. As evidence to support the use of NIV has developed, there has been a concurrent proliferation of NIV technology. Efforts have been made to improve patient-ventilator synchrony, monitoring capabilities, and portability of devices used to deliver NIV. The technological enhancements provide clinicians with myriad modes, settings, and capabilities designed to improve patient adherence with NIV. Although this technology is generally superior to that of the past, a great deal of variation exists between devices. Clinicians need to be accustomed to the devices available to them to maximize the potential for clinical improvement and patient tolerance. The purpose of this paper is to review current technology, current literature comparing devices, and various clinical considerations associated with NIV use in adult acute care.

Airway Management and Ventilator-Associated Events.

Airway management techniques are aimed at reducing complications associated with artificial airways and mechanical ventilation, such as retained secretions. The impact of airway management techniques on ventilator-associated events (VAEs) varies considerably by modality. Closed-suction techniques are generally recommended but have limited, if any, impact on VAEs. Normal saline instillation during suctioning is not recommended. Devices designed specifically to remove biofilm from the inside of endotracheal tubes appear to be safe, but their role in VAE prevention is uncertain. Subglottic secretion clearance by artificial cough maneuvers is promising, but more research is needed to assess its clinical feasibility. Continuous cuff-pressure management appears to be effective in reducing microaspiration of subglottic secretions.

Mechanical Ventilation Alarms and Alarm Fatigue.

Mechanical ventilation alarms and alerts, both audible and visual, provide the clinician with vital information about the patient's physiologic condition and the status of the machine's function. Not all alarms generated by the mechanical ventilator provide actionable information. Over time, clinicians can become desensitized to audible alarms due to alarm fatigue and may potentially ignore an actionable situation that results in patient harm. Alarm fatigue has been recognized by multiple agencies as a major patient-safety issue. To date, mechanical ventilator alarm settings do not have standardized nomenclature. The aim of this review was to examine and report on the literature that pertains to mechanical ventilation alarms and alarm fatigue and to propose recommendations for future research that may lead to safer mechanical ventilation alarm practices.