Análisis de la actividad de la unidad de monitorización intermedios respiratorios en el contexto de pandemia / Analysis of the activity of the interme-diate respiratory monitoring unit in the context of a pandemic

Objetivo principal: Describir la actividad y carga asistencial de una unidad de monitorización de intermedios respiratorios (UMIR) en el contexto de pandemia por Covid-19, así como características de los pacientes ingresados en ella. Metodología: Estudio prospectivo y observacional entre enero y diciembre de 2021. Se evaluaron características del paciente, características de su ingreso y la carga asistencial medida a través de la escala TISS-28. Resultados principales: Ingresaron 127 pacientes. La edad media fue de 69,52 ± 11,61 años, y la gran mayoría eran hombres. Causa principal de ingreso fue insuficiencia respiratoria aguda. La puntuación media de la escala TISS-28 fue de 21,59 ± 2,37. Conclusión principal: La UMIR demostró ser un buen recuso hospitalario para responder a las necesidades de la pandemia por Covid-19, así como reducir la estancia media en otros servicios más especializados. Se debe tener en cuenta la elevada carga asistencial existente.(AU)

Objective: To describe the activity and care load of a respiratory intermediate monitoring unit (UMIR) in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the characteristics of the patients admitted to it. Methods: Prospective and observational study between January and December 2021. Characteristics of the patient, characteristics of their admission and the care burden measured through the TISS-28 scale were evaluated. Results: 127 patients were admitted. The mean age was 69.52 ± 11.61 years, and the vast majority were men. Main cause of admission was acute respiratory failure. The mean score on the TISS-28 scale was 21.59 ± 2.37. Conclusion: The UMIR proved to be a good hospital resource to respond to the needs of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as reduce the average stay in other more specialized services. The existing high care burden must be taken into account.(AU)

A intervenção do enfermeiro especialista em enfermagem de reabilitação à criança com alteração da função respiratória no primeiro ano de vida / The intervention of a nurse specialist in rehabilitation nursing for children with respiratory function alterations in the first year of life

O primeiro ano de vida envolve uma transformação progressiva e célere de todos os sistemas corporais, particularmente, do sistema respiratório, predispondo o lactente a alterações da função respiratória e, consequentemente, ao desenvolvimento de doenças respiratórias agudas e crónicas, pelo que a sua prevenção e tratamento precoces são fundamentais. O presente relatório de estágio apresenta a descrição e reflexão sobre o percurso concretizado para adquirir as competências específicas e comuns do Enfermeiro Especialista em Enfermagem de Reabilitação e as competências preconizadas nos descritores de Dublin, para a obtenção do grau de Mestre. Tendo em conta que os cuidados de Enfermagem de Reabilitação integram a pessoa com necessidades especiais ao longo de todo o ciclo vital e que as intervenções autónomas do Enfermeiro Especialista em Enfermagem de Reabilitação na função respiratória carecem de investigação premente, pretendemos evidenciar o seu contributo no cuidado à criança com alteração da função respiratória, no primeiro ano de vida, sustentando-nos no Modelo de Sistemas de Betty Neuman. Compreendemos, através da pesquisa e ao longo deste percurso formativo, que no âmbito da prevenção primária, o Enfermeiro Especialista em Enfermagem de Reabilitação intervém na educação e capacitação da família para promover a saúde respiratória da criança e prevenir doenças respiratórias agudas. Através da reeducação funcional respiratória contribui para a prevenção secundária dos compromissos de ventilação e oxigenação da criança, prevenindo complicações. No que concerne à prevenção terciária, sustenta a reconstituição da estabilidade do sistema cliente, criança e família, colaborando na transição segura para a comunidade, mitigando o impacto das limitações e promovendo a continuidade dos cuidados.

The first year of life involves a gradual and rapid transformation of all body systems, particularly the respiratory one, predisposing the infant to respiratory function impairments and, consequently, to the development of acute and chronic respiratory diseases, which makes its prevention and early treatment essential. This internship report presents the description and reflection on the path taken to acquire the specific and common skills of the Specialist Nurse in Rehabilitation Nursing and the Dublin descriptors for the Master level. Taking into consideration that Rehabilitation Nursing care integrates the person with special needs throughout the life cycle and that the autonomous interventions of these Specialist Nurses in person's respiratory function require urgent research, we intend to highlight their contribution to the care of infants with respiratory function impairment, sustained on the Neuman Systems Model. We understood, through research and along this formative path, that, in the context of primary prevention, the Specialist Nurse in Rehabilitation Nursing intervenes in the anticipatory guidance of the family to promote infant's respiratory health and prevent acute respiratory diseases. Through functional respiratory re-education promotes secondary prevention of infant's ventilation and oxygenation impairments, preventing complications. Regarding tertiary prevention, supports the reconstitution of the child and family/client system stability, collaborating in the safe transition to the community, mitigating the impact of limitations and promoting the continuity of care.

Cuidados de Enfermería en paciente pediátrico con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda en la Unidad Pediátricos Área de Emergencias / Nursing Care in pediatric patient with acute respiratory failure in the Pediatric Unit Emergency Area

La principal función del sistema respira-torio es el intercambio de gases durante la inspiración y expiración, una alteración en cualquier parte de este sistema puede generar problemas respiratorios agudos como en el caso de la insuficiencia respiratoria aguda (IRA), que es la incapacidad pulmonar de cumplir con el intercambio gaseoso de oxígeno y dióxido de carbono entre el aire ambiental y la sangre circu-lante1, está acompañada de varios signos y síntomas como taquipnea, cianosis entre otros2, es de inicio súbito, y cons-tituye la causa de ingreso a las unidades de emergencia, por ello la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) indica que "cientos de millones de personas sufren cada día las consecuencias de enferme-dades respiratorias"3. En los indicadores Básicos-Ecuador 2012 del Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP) del Ecuador a nivel general registró 4 122 muertes por IRA, correspondió a la Provincia de Pichincha 8254, en el Hospital de Especialidades Carlos Andrade Marín (HECAM), la primera causa de ingreso correspondió a neumonía con el 41,29% en el periodo de enero-septiembre 2018 (Coordinación General de Planificación y Estadísticas HECAM).La ruta planteada constituye una herra-mienta que permite al personal de enfer-mería realizar una evaluación efectiva a través de una valoración inicial, primaria y secundaria, con el propósito de evitar complicaciones durante el cuidado de pa-cientes pediátricos con insuficiencia res-piratoria aguda en la Unidad Pediátricos Área de Emergencia (UPAE).

1. INTRODUCTION The main function of the respiratory system is the exchange of gases during inharing and exhaling processes. An al-teration in any part of this system can generate acute respiratory problems as in the case of acute respiratory failure (ARF), which is the inability of the lung to comply with the gaseous exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the external air and circulating blood1. It is accompanied by various signs and symp-toms such as tachypnea, cyanosis, among others2, is of sudden start, and is the cause of admission to emergency units. This is why the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that "hundreds of millions of people suffer the consequences of respiratory diseases every day"3. In the Basic Indicators-Ecuador 2012 of the Mi-nistry of Public Health of Ecuador at the general level recorded 4 122 deaths due to ARI, corresponding to the Province of Pichincha 8254, in the Carlos Andrade Marín Specialties Hospital (HECAM). The first cause of admission corresponded to pneumonia with 41,29% in the period January-September 2018 (General Coordination of Planning and Statistics HECAM).The proposed route constitutes a tool that allows the nursing staff to perform an effective evaluation through an initial, primary, and secondary assessment, with the purpose of avoiding complications during the care of pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure in the Pediatric Emergency Area Unit (UPAE).

Use of Helmet CPAP in COVID-19 - A practical review.

Helmet CPAP (H-CPAP) has been recommended in many guidelines as a noninvasive respiratory support during COVID-19 pandemic in many countries around the world. It has the least amount of particle dispersion and air contamination among all noninvasive devices and may mitigate the ICU bed shortage during a COVID surge as well as a decreased need for intubation/mechanical ventilation. It can be attached to many oxygen delivery sources. The MaxVenturi setup is preferred as it allows for natural humidification, low noise burden, and easy transition to HFNC during breaks and it is the recommended transport set-up. The patients can safely be proned with the helmet. It can also be used to wean the patients from invasive mechanical ventilation. Our article reviews in depth the pathophysiology of COVID-19 ARDS, provides rationale of using H-CPAP, suggests a respiratory failure algorithm, guides through its setup and discusses the issues and concerns around using it.

Incidence of Respiratory Depression in a Postanesthesia Care Unit in Patients Undergoing Anesthesia Using Opioids.

PURPOSE: To analyze the incidence of respiratory depression (RD) in patients undergoing anesthesia using opioids in a postanesthesia care unit. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Quantitative approach, performed by documentary analysis of medical records in the postanesthesia care unit. FINDINGS: A total of 330 patients were included in the study, with a prevalence of female (186; 56.36%) and nonobese patients (295; 89.39%). Five cases of RD in the immediate postoperative period were found, corresponding to an incidence of 1.52%. Each case in this study showed different risk factors related to opioid-induced RD. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing surveillance is essential in the decision-making process regarding the knowledge of physiological, pharmacologic, and risk factors to detect clinical signs of RD.

Impact of COVID-19 on nursing time in intensive care units in Belgium.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on nursing practice in intensive care unit and consequently, on workload. OBJECTIVE: To assess the nurse-patient ratio required by COVID-19 patients and to identify the factors that influence nursing in this context. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective observational study that evaluated the ratio using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS). SETTING: Three Belgian French-speaking hospitals, including five ICUs. Patients included COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The study included 95 COVID-19 patients and 1604 non-COVID-19 patients (control group) resulting in 905 and 5453 NAS measures, respectively. The NAS was significantly higher among the COVID-19 patients than in the control group (p = <0.0001). In the COVID-19 group, these higher scores were also observed per shift and uniformly across the three hospitals. COVID-19 patients required more time in the activities of monitoring and titration (χ2 = 457.60, p = <0.0001), mobilisation (χ2 = 161.21, p = <0.0001), and hygiene (χ2 = 557.77, p = <0.0001). Factors influencing nursing time measured by NAS in the COVID-19 patients were age <65 years old (p = 0.23), the use of continuous venovenous hemofiltration (p = 0.002), a high APACHE II score (p = 0.006) and patient death (p = 0.002). A COVID-19 diagnosis was independently associated with an increase in nursing time (OR = 4.8, 95% CI:3.6-6.4). CONCLUSIONS: Patients hospitalised in the ICU due to COVID-19 require significantly more nursing time and need an average ratio of almost 1:1.

The use of non-invasive ventilation in an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a case study.

This article aims to assist nurses and other health professionals to care for patients who have type 2 respiratory failure as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and who require non-invasive ventilation. It outlines findings of a case study that are commonplace in the acute medical setting and aims to highlight important factors that impact on patient care and patient outcome, and to help nursing staff to implement recommended and best practices.

Related factors of the nursing diagnosis ineffective breathing pattern in an intensive care unit. / Fatores preditores do diagnóstico de enfermagem padrão respiratório ineficaz em pacientes de uma unidade de terapia intensiva.

OBJECTIVE: to identify the predicting factors and sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative related value of nursing diagnosis Ineffective Breathing Pattern among patients of an intensive care unit. METHOD: cross-sectional study. A logistic regression was fitted to assess the simultaneous effects of related factors. RESULTS: among the 120 patients, 67.5% presented Ineffective Breathing Pattern. In the univariate analysis, the related factors were: group of diseases, fatigue, obesity and presence of bronchial secretion, and the defining characteristics were: changes in respiratory depth, auscultation with adventitious sounds, dyspnea, reduced vesicular murmurs, tachypnea, cough and use of the accessory musculature to breathe. The mean age of patients with was higher than those without this diagnosis. The defining characteristics reduced murmurs had high sensitivity (92.6%), specificity (97.4%), negative related value (86.4%) and positive related value (98.7%). The related factors of Ineffective Breathing Pattern were the related factors fatigue, age and group of diseases. CONCLUSION: fatigue, age and patients with a group of diseases were related factors of Ineffective Breathing Pattern in this study. Reduced vesicular murmurs, auscultation with adventitious sounds and cough may be defining characteristics to be added in the international classification, as well as the related factors bronchial secretion and group of diseases.

Overview of Pharmacological Considerations in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has become more widely used in recent years. Although this technology has proven to be lifesaving, it is not devoid of complications contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. Nurses who care for patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation should further their understanding of changes in medication profiles due to complex interactions with the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuitry. The aim of this comprehensive review is to give nurses a better understanding of analgesic, sedative, anti-infective, and anticoagulation medications that are frequently used to treat patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Defining characteristics and related factors of the nursing diagnosis for ineffective breathing pattern.

OBJECTIVE: To identify in the literature the defining characteristics and related factors of the nursing diagnosis "ineffective breathing pattern". METHOD: Integrative review with the steps: problem identification, literature search, evaluation and analysis of data and presentation of results. RESULTS: Twenty articles and two dissertations were included. In children, the most prevalent related factor was bronchial secretion, followed by hyperventilation. The main defining characteristics were dyspnea, tachypnea, cough, use of accessory muscles to breathe, orthopnea and adventitious breath sounds. Bronchial secretion, cough and adventitious breath sounds are not included in the NANDA-International (NANDA-I). For adults and older adults, the related factors were fatigue, pain and obesity and the defining characteristics were dyspnea, orthopnea and tachypnea. CONCLUSION: This diagnosis manifests differently according to the patients' age group. It was observed that some defining characteristics and related factors are not included in the NANDA-I. Their inclusion can improve this nursing diagnosis.

Defining characteristics and related factors of the nursing diagnosis for ineffective breathing pattern / Características definitorias y factores relacionados del diagnóstico de enfermería estándar respiratorio ineficaz / Características definidoras e fatores relacionados do diagnóstico de enfermagem padrão respiratório ineficaz

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify in the literature the defining characteristics and related factors of the nursing diagnosis "ineffective breathing pattern". Method: Integrative review with the steps: problem identification, literature search, evaluation and analysis of data and presentation of results. Results: Twenty articles and two dissertations were included. In children, the most prevalent related factor was bronchial secretion, followed by hyperventilation. The main defining characteristics were dyspnea, tachypnea, cough, use of accessory muscles to breathe, orthopnea and adventitious breath sounds. Bronchial secretion, cough and adventitious breath sounds are not included in the NANDA-International (NANDA-I). For adults and older adults, the related factors were fatigue, pain and obesity and the defining characteristics were dyspnea, orthopnea and tachypnea. Conclusion: This diagnosis manifests differently according to the patients' age group. It was observed that some defining characteristics and related factors are not included in the NANDA-I. Their inclusion can improve this nursing diagnosis.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Identificar en la literatura las características definitorias y los factores relacionados del diagnóstico de enfermería estándar respiratorio ineficaz. Método: Se trata de una revisión integradora conteniendo las etapas de formulación del problema, revisión da literatura, evaluación y análisis de los datos y presentación de los resultados. Resultados: Se incluyeron 20 artículos y 02 disertaciones. En los niños, el factor relacionado que prevaleció fue la secreción en los bronquios seguido de hiperventilación. Las características definitorias principales fueron la disnea, la taquipnea, la tos, el uso de la musculatura accesoria para respirar, la ortopnea y los ruidos adventicios, siendo que la secreción en los bronquios, la tos y los ruidos adventicios no constan en la NANDA-Internacional (NANDA-I). Para los adultos y personas mayores, los factores relacionados fueron la fatiga, el dolor y la obesidad, y las características definitorias, la disnea, la ortopnea y la taquipnea. Conclusión: Este diagnóstico difiere según la edad de los pacientes; cabe destacar que ciertas características definitorias y factores relacionados no constan en la NANDA-I, cuya inclusión podría mejorar este diagnóstico de enfermería.

RESUMO Objetivo: Identificar na literatura as características definidoras e os fatores relacionados do diagnóstico de enfermagem Padrão respiratório ineficaz. Método: Revisão integrativa com as etapas formulação do problema, revisão da literatura, avaliação e análise dos dados e apresentação de resultados. Resultados: Foram incluídos 20 artigos e 02 dissertações. Em crianças, o fator relacionado mais prevalente nos estudos foi a secreção nos brônquios, seguido da hiperventilação. As principais características definidoras foram dispneia, taquipneia, tosse, uso da musculatura acessória para respirar, ortopneia e ruídos adventícios, sendo que a secreção nos brônquios, a tosse e os ruídos adventícios não constam na NANDA-Internacional (NANDA-I). Para adultos e idosos, os fatores relacionados foram fadiga, dor e obesidade. As características definidoras foram dispneia, ortopneia e taquipneia. Conclusão: Esse diagnóstico manifesta-se diferententemente de acordo com a faixa etária dos pacientes. Observou-se que algumas características definidoras e fator relacionado não constam na NANDA-I, cuja inclusão pode aprimorar esse diagnóstico de enfermagem.

A child diagnosed with rigid spine syndrome complicated by ventilatory disorders: a nursing case report.

Rigid spine syndrome is a rare myopathy in children and has a poor prognosis because of its lack of treatment and eventual ventilatory failure. We report the case of a 10-year-old child with RSS and ventilatory disorders. We provided care to the child using bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) non-invasive mechanical ventilation and continuous monitoring of transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure. A 10-year-old Han Chinese girl presented (6 April 6 2016) to the Shanghai Children's Medical Center with ventilatory disorders, including hypoxia and hypercapnia. Transcutaneous oxygen saturation with mask oxygen inspiration was 90%. BiPAP non-invasive ventilator-assisted ventilation was continuously used. Through continuous non-invasive ventilation and carbon dioxide monitoring, the symptoms of dyspnea in this child were effectively controlled and improved. She was discharged on April 19 with instructions to continue using BiPAP at home and transcutaneous oxygen saturation was maintained at 94% to 98%. This case highlights that nursing of patients with rigid spine syndrome and ventilatory disorders should focus on evaluating the effect of non-invasive mechanical ventilation, prevention of complications, and continuous nursing after discharge. Additionally, continuous monitoring of transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure is feasible for evaluating the effect of BiPAP.

Methods in the design and implementation of the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure (RESTORE) clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Few papers discuss the pragmatics of conducting large, cluster randomized clinical trials. Here we describe the sequential steps taken to develop methods to implement the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure (RESTORE) trial that tested the effect of a nurse-implemented, goal-directed, comfort algorithm on clinical outcomes in pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure. METHODS: After development in a single institution, the RESTORE intervention was pilot-tested in two pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) to evaluate safety and feasibility. After the pilot, the RESTORE intervention was simplified to enhance reproducibility across multiple PICUs. The final RESTORE trial was developed as a cluster randomized clinical trial where the unit of randomization was the PICU, stratified by PICU size, and the unit of inference was the patient. Study execution was revised based on our Data and Safety Monitoring Board's recommendation to consult with the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) on how best to consent eligible subjects. OHRP deemed that the RESTORE intervention posed greater than minimal risk and that all enrolled subjects provide consent reflecting their level of participation. RESULTS: Thirty-one PICUs of varying size, organization and academic affiliation participated and over 2800 critically ill infants and children supported on mechanical ventilation for acute pulmonary disease were enrolled. The primary outcome for the trial was the duration of mechanical ventilation; secondary outcomes included time awake and comfortable, total sedative exposure and iatrogenic withdrawal symptoms. Throughout the clinical trial the investigative team worked to maintain treatment fidelity, enrollment milestones and co-investigator enthusiasm. We considered the potential impact of competing clinical trials through a decision-making framework. CONCLUSIONS: The RESTORE clinical trial was a large and complex multicenter study that has provided the necessary evidence to guide sedation practices in the field of pediatric critical care. Specific issues that were unique to this trial included level of consent, adding clinical sites to augment enrollment and evaluating the potential impact of competing clinical trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , Identifiers: Pilot trial: NCT00142766 ; Retrospectively registerd on 2 September 2005. Cluster randomized trial: NCT00814099 . Registered on 23 December 2008.

Mechanical Ventilation and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygena tion in Acute Respiratory Insufficiency

Mechanical ventilation is life-saving for patients with acute respiratory insufficiency. In a German prevalence study, 13.6% of patients in intensive care units received mechanical ventilation for more than 12 hours; 20% of these patients received mechanical ventilation as treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The new S3 guideline is the first to contain recommendations for the entire process of treatment in these groups of patients (indications, ventilation modes/parameters, accompanying measures, treatments for refractory impairment of gas exchange, weaning, and follow-up care). This guideline was developed according to the GRADE methods. Pertinent publications were identified by a systematic search of the literature, the quality of the evidence was evaluated, a risk/benefit assessment was conducted, and recommendations were issued by interdisciplinary consensus. Mechanical ventilation is recommended as primary treatment for patients with severe ARDS. In other patient groups, non-invasive ventilation can lower mortality. If mechanical ventilation is needed, ventilation modes allowing spontaneous breathing seem beneficial (quality of evidence [QoE]: very low). Protective ventilation (high positive end-expiratory pressure, low tidal volume, limited peak pressure) improve the survival of ARDS patients (QoE: high). If a severe impairment of gas exchange is present, prone positioning lessens mortality (QoE: high). Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) has not unequivocally been shown to improve survival. Early mobilization and weaning protocols can shorten the duration of ventilation (QoE: moderate). Recommendations for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation include lung-protective ventilation, early spontaneous breathing and mobilization, weaning protocols, and, for those with severe impairment of gas exchange, prone positioning. It is further recommended that patients with ARDS and refractory impairment of gas exchange should be transferred to an ARDS/ECMO center, where extracorporeal methods should be applied only after application of all other therapeutic options.

Beneficios y cuidados enfermeros en el uso de cánula nasal de alto flujo en el paciente con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda / Benefits and nursing care in the use of high-flow nasal cannula for patients with acute respiratory failure

OBJETIVO: identificar los beneficios y los principales cuidados del dispositivo de cánula nasal de alto flujo como tratamiento en los pacientes diagnosticados de insuficiencia respiratoria aguda (IRA). MÉTODO: se ha realizado una revisión narrativa. Se buscaron artículos en las siguientes bases de datos: PubMed, Cinhal, Cochrane Library Plus y Cuiden, con los siguientes términos libres de búsqueda: oxigenoterapia alto flujo; insuficiencia respiratoria aguda y cuidados enfermeros. Limitados con idioma inglés o español, edad +18 años y publicados en los últimos 10 años (2007-2017). RESULTADOS: se incluyeron 19 documentos. El principal beneficio del tratamiento con dispositivo de cánula nasal de alto flujo es la mejora de la oxigenación. La terapia utiliza un sistema de humidificación térmica que favorece la función mucociliar, facilita la expulsión de secreciones y reduce la aparición de atelectasias pulmonares. Además, mediante la humidificación del aire inspirado se reducen las molestias de la sequedad bucal relacionadas con la oxigenoterapia convencional. Puede llegar a aliviar asincronías, reducir la frecuencia respiratoria y mejorar la eficacia también de los esfuerzos respiratorios incrementando la ventilación alveolar. CONCLUSIONES: el uso de la cánula nasal de alto flujo es un tratamiento beneficioso en los pacientes diagnosticados de insuficiencia respiratoria aguda

OBJECTIVE: to identify the benefits and main care measures for the high-flow nasal cannula as treatment for patients diagnosed with acute respiratory failure. METHOD: a narrative review was conducted; there was a search for articles in the following databases: PubMed, Cinhal, Cochrane Library Plus and Cuiden, with the following free search terms: "oxigenoterapia alto flujo" (high-flow oxygen therapy); "insuficiencia respiratoria aguda" (acute respiratory failure) and "cuidados enfermeros" (nursing care).The search was limited to articles in English or Spanish, >18-year-old, and published within the past 10 years (2007-2017). RESULTS: nineteen (19) articles were included. The main benefit of the treatment with high-flow nasal cannula was an improvement in oxygenation. This therapy involves a thermal humidification system that boosts the mucociliary function, encourages the discharge of secretions, and reduces the development of pulmonary atelectasis. Moreover, through the humidification of the air inhaled, there is a reduction in the mouth dryness discomfort associated with traditional oxygen therapy. It can even alleviate asynchrony, reduce the respiratory frequency, and improve also the efficacy of respiratory efforts, by increasing alveolar ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: the use of high-flow nasal cannula is a beneficial treatment for patients diagnosed with acute respiratory failure

Respiratory Depression: A Case Study of a Postoperative Patient With Cancer.

Respiratory depression is a complication that often follows cancer-related surgery and can result in life-threatening consequences. Oncology nurses caring for postoperative patients must monitor for respiratory complications and implement measures to prevent respiratory depression. A review of postoperative respiratory depression risk factors, clinical findings, and monitoring will be presented in this article using a case study.

Analysis of a Pediatric Home Mechanical Ventilator Population.

BACKGROUND: The population of children requiring home mechanical ventilation has evolved over the years and has grown to include a variety of diagnoses and needs that have led to changes in the care of this unique population. The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of pediatric patients requiring home mechanical ventilation after hospitalization and how the evolution of this technology has impacted their care. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, longitudinal analysis of 164 children enrolled in a university-affiliated home mechanical ventilation program over 26 years was performed. Data included each child's primary diagnosis, date of tracheostomy placement, duration of mechanical ventilation during hospitalization that consisted of home mechanical ventilator initiation, total length of pediatric ICU stay, ventilator settings at time of discharge from pediatric ICU, and disposition (home, facility, or died). Univariate, bivariate, and regression analysis was used as appropriate. RESULTS: The most common diagnosis requiring the use of home mechanical ventilation was neuromuscular disease (53%), followed by chronic pulmonary disease (29%). The median length of stay in the pediatric ICU decreased significantly after the implementation of a ventilator ward (70 d [30-142] vs 36 d [18-67], P = .02). The distribution of subjects upon discharge was home (71%), skilled nursing facility (24%), and died (4%), with an increase in the proportion of subjects discharged on PEEP and those going to nursing facilities over time (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of home mechanical ventilation has allowed earlier transition out of the pediatric ICU and with increasing disposition to skilled nursing facilities over time. There has also been a change in ventilator management, including increased use of PEEP upon discharge, possibly driven by changes in ventilators and in-patient practice patterns.