AARC Clinical Practice Guideline: Spontaneous Breathing Trials for Liberation From Adult Mechanical Ventilation.

Despite prior publications of clinical practice guidelines related to ventilator liberation, some questions remain unanswered. Many of these questions relate to the details of bedside implementation. We, therefore, formed a guidelines committee of individuals with experience and knowledge of ventilator liberation as well as a medical librarian. Using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, we make the following recommendations: (1) We suggest that calculation of a rapid shallow breathing index is not needed to determine readiness for a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) (conditional recommendation; moderate certainty); (2) We suggest that SBTs can be conducted with or without pressure support ventilation (conditional recommendation, moderate certainty); (3) We suggest a standardized approach to assessment and, if appropriate, completion of an SBT before noon each day (conditional recommendation, very low certainty); and (4) We suggest that FIO2 should not be increased during an SBT (conditional recommendation, very low certainty). These recommendations are intended to assist bedside clinicians to liberate adult critically ill patients more rapidly from mechanical ventilation.

2021 Year in Review: E-Cigarettes, Hookah Use, and Vaping Lung Injuries During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and hookah smoking have gained tremendous popularity over the past decade. With the constantly evolving e-cigarette market and potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on users of these tobacco products, research is needed to assess the prevalence and safety of these devices as well as potential public health implications and cessation tools. For this year in review, PubMed was searched from January 2021-December 14, 2021, for articles related to e-cigarettes, vaping-related lung injury, and hookah smoking. Relevant articles addressing the objectives were included in this review. This review focused primarily on articles based on United States populations. Gray literature and nonpublished articles were not included in this review. The 2020 pandemic resulted in a decline in e-cigarette usage among youth (potentially due to the COVID-19 pandemic); however, recent research in 2021 suggests that e-cigarette usage is increasing again among youth. Conflicting evidence exists for e-cigarettes and the risk of COVID-19 infection, but biological plausibility suggests that e-cigarette users are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection and more severe COVID-19 infection compared to non-e-cigarette users. Hookah smoking has remained stable across the past several years and remains a primarily social activity among youth. New e-cigarette devices are constantly emerging, resulting in an increased demand to understand the safety of these devices. Additionally, hookah smoking continues to be a concerning public health issue with the increase in hookah bars and venues coupled with lack of policy regulations for hookah smoking.