A lung computed tomographic assessment of positive end-expiratory pressure-induced lung overdistension

The aim of this study was to assess positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)-induced lung overdistension and alveolar recruitment in six patients with acute lung injury (ALI) using a computed tomographic (CT) scan method. Lung overdistension was first determined in six healthy volunteers in whom CT sections were obtained at FRC and at TLC with a positive airway pressure of 30 cm H2O. In patients, lung volumes were quantified by the analysis of the frequency distribution of CT numbers on the entire lung at zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) and PEEP. In healthy volunteers at FRC, the distribution of the density histograms was monophasic with a peak at -791 ± 12 Hounsfield units (HU). The lowest CT number observed was -912 HU. At TLC, lung volume increased by 79 ± 35% and the peak CT number decreased to -886 ± 26 HU. More than 70% of the increase in lung volume was located below -900 HU, suggesting that this value can be considered as the threshold separating normal aeration from overdistension. In patients with ALI, at ZEEP the distribution of density histograms was either monophasic (n = 3) or biphasic (n = 3). The mean CT number was -319 ± 34 HU. At PEEP 13 ± 3 cm H2O, lung volume increased by 47 ± 19% whereas mean CT number decreased to -538 ± 171 HU. PEEP induced a mean alveolar recruitment of 320 ± 160 ml and a mean lung overdistension of 238 ± 320 ml. In conclusion, overdistended lung parenchyma of healthy volunteers is characterized by a CT number below -900 HU. This threshold can be used in patients with ALI for differentiating PEEP-induced alveolar recruitment from lung overdistension.

Effects of contrast material on computed tomographic measurements of lung volumes in patients with acute lung injury

Background. Intravenous injection of contrast material is routinely performed in order to differentiate nonaerated lung parenchyma from pleural effusion in critically ill patients undergoing thoracic computed tomography (CT). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of contrast material on CT measurement of lung volumes in 14 patients with acute lung injury. Method. A spiral thoracic CT scan, consisting of contiguous axial sections of 10 mm thickness, was performed from the apex to the diaphragm at end-expiration both before and 30 s (group 1; n=7) or 15 min (group 2; n=7) after injection of 80 ml contrast material. Volumes of gas and tissue, and volumic distribution of CT attenuations were measured before and after injection using specially designed software (Lungview®; Institut National des Télécommunications, Evry, France). The maximal artifactual increase in lung tissue resulting from a hypothetical leakage within the lung of the 80 ml contrast material was calculated. Results. Injection of contrast material significantly increased the apparent volume of lung tissue by 83 ± 57 ml in group 1 and 102 ± 80 ml in group 2, whereas the corresponding maximal artifactual increases in lung tissue were 42 ± 52 ml and 31 ± 18 ml. Conclusion. Because systematic injection of contrast material increases the amount of extravascular lung water in patients with acute lung injury, it seems prudent to avoid this procedure in critically ill patients undergoing a thoracic CT scan and to reserve its use for specific indications.

Acute and sustained effects of early administration of inhaled nitric oxide to children with acute respiratory distress syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To determine the acute and sustained effects of early inhaled nitric oxide on some oxygenation indexes and ventilator settings and to compare inhaled nitric oxide administration and conventional therapy on mortality rate, length of stay in intensive care, and duration of mechanical ventilation in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit at a university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: Children with acute respiratory distress syndrome, aged between 1 month and 12 yrs. INTERVENTIONS: Two groups were studied: an inhaled nitric oxide group (iNOG, n = 18) composed of patients prospectively enrolled from November 2000 to November 2002, and a conventional therapy group (CTG, n = 21) consisting of historical control patients admitted from August 1998 to August 2000. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Therapy with inhaled nitric oxide was introduced as early as 1.5 hrs after acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis with acute improvements in Pao(2)/Fio(2) ratio (83.7%) and oxygenation index (46.7%). Study groups were of similar ages, gender, primary diagnoses, pediatric risk of mortality score, and mean airway pressure. Pao(2)/Fio(2) ratio was lower (CTG, 116.9 +/- 34.5; iNOG, 62.5 +/- 12.8, p <.0001) and oxygenation index higher (CTG, 15.2 [range, 7.2-32.2]; iNOG, 24.3 [range, 16.3-70.4], p <.0001) in the iNOG. Prolonged treatment was associated with improved oxygenation, so that Fio(2) and peak inspiratory pressure could be quickly and significantly reduced. Mortality rate for inhaled nitric oxide-patients was lower (CTG, ten of 21, 47.6%; iNOG, three of 18, 16.6%, p <.001). There was no difference in intensive care stay (CTG, 10 days [range, 2-49]; iNOG, 12 [range, 6-26], p >.05) or duration of mechanical ventilation (TCG, 9 days [range, 2-47]; iNOG, 10 [range, 4-25], p >.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early treatment with inhaled nitric oxide causes acute and sustained improvement in oxygenation, with earlier reduction of ventilator settings, which might contribute to reduce the mortality rate in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Length of stay in intensive care and duration of mechanical ventilation are not changed. Prospective trials of inhaled nitric oxide early in the setting of acute lung injury in children are needed.

Intervenções farmacêuticas na atenção à saúde mental: Uma revisão

Uma revisão dirigida foi realizada nas bases de dados IBECS, LILACS e MEDLINE, até fevereiro/2011, para identificar intervenções farmacêuticas (IF) na atenção farmacêutica em saúde mental e os seus resultados. Para a busca utilizaram-se os descritores em saúde: Pharmaceutical Care, Pharmaceutical Services, Medication Adherence, Pharmacists, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Mental Health Assistance, Community Mental Health Services, Mentally Ill Persons andMental Disorders. Identificaram-se 1686 publicações, das quais 21 contemplaram os critérios de inclusão. Após exploração do material, apenas cinco estudos tratavam-se de IF. Todos foram conduzidos no nível secundário de atenção, com abordagem individual, por meio do acompanhamento da terapia (3), intervenção educativa por cartas a médicos e pacientes (1), aconselhamento farmacêutico presencial e remoto e inserção de terapia com sistema transdérmico de nicotina (1). Os resultados, tais como promoção da adesão e resolução de problemas relacionados a medicamentos foram positivos para a terapêutica. No entanto, é necessário que as IF monitorem os parâmetros clínicos, as mudanças de hábitos, a melhora na qualidade de vida e os aspectos farmacoeconômicos a fim de avaliar os seus impactos. Palavras-chave:Atenção Farmacêutica. Assistência Farmacêutica. Adesão à Medicação. Farmacêuticos. Saúde Mental. ABSTRACT Pharmaceutical interventions in mental health services: a review A directed review was performed in IBECS, LILACS and MEDLINE databases, until February/2011, in order to identify the studies which developed pharmaceutical interventions (PI) in pharmaceutical care in mental health services and estimated their results. The search was carried out using the follow health science descriptors: Pharmaceutical Care, Pharmaceutical Services, Medication Adherence, Pharmacists, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Mental Health Assistance, Community Mental Health Services, Mentally Ill Persons andMental Disorders. It was identified 1686 manuscripts, of whose 21 contemplated the inclusion criteria. After the content analysis of the eligible manuscripts, only five developed PI. All of them were conducted in the second level of health care, with individual approach, through: therapy follow-up (3), educational interventions by letters to physicians and patients (1), presence or remote pharmaceutical counseling and inclusion of therapy with nicotine transdermal patch (1). The data, such as adherence promotion and solving drug related problems, were positive for the therapeutic. However, it is necessary that the PI monitor the clinical parameters, the habit changes, the improvement in the quality of life and the pharmacoeconomic aspects, in order to assess their impacts. Keywords: Pharmaceutical Care. Pharmaceutical Services. Medication Adherence. Pharmacists. Mental Health. Mental Disorders.

Caring for heart transplant recipients: The lived experience of primary caregivers

Objective: To understand the experience of primary caregivers of heart transplant recipients. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to understand the caregivers' experience of caring for a heart transplant patient. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 caregivers, in a Brazilian hospital, from December 2008 to March 2009. Results: Following the transplant, caregivers' lives change drastically; their priority becomes providing care for their relative. Despite successful transplant results, the uncertainty about future remains, generating permanent distress. Anxiety is exacerbated by familial or economic problems and, consequently, many participants turn to their local communities for support. Some caregivers learn from the experience and plan return to regular activities. Others feel helpless, unable to overcome personal losses and difficulties. Conclusions: Nurses are ideally placed to lead the way by providing family-centered support and education for caregivers of heart recipients. Listening to the concerns of family caregivers seems to be an essential aspect of effective interventions. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Avaliação da função renal de cães sadios e nefropatas sob infusão de dopamina

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evolução de pacientes clínicos e cirúrgicos com injúria renal aguda

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Percepção da humanização das condições de trabalho por trabalhadores de enfermagem da unidade de terapia intensiva adulto

Pós-graduação em Enfermagem (mestrado profissional) - FMB

Vivência comunicativa do enfermeiro com pacientes e familiares de unidades críticas: do discurso à prática

Pós-graduação em Enfermagem (mestrado profissional) - FMB

Preditores clínicos de laringoscopia difícil em pediatria

Pós-graduação em Anestesiologia - FMB

Percepção da equipe multiprofissional sobre o cuidado humanizado nas unidades de terapia intensiva de um hospital escola

Pós-graduação em Enfermagem (mestrado profissional) - FMB

Medicina defensiva: uma prática necessária?

We discuss the reasons why Defensive Medicine is widely used in Brazil and worldwide. The Defensive Medicine is characterized by excessive use of complementary tests, the use of supposedly safer therapeutic procedures, the frequent referral of patients to other specialists and by the refusal to care for critically ill patients and with greater potential for complications. This is a practice that aims to defend the doctor from legal suits. The way the processes are conducted by the judiciary certainly contributes to the consolidation of this foolish practice. The slow pace of justice in our country, associated with the unpreparedness of judges and legal experts in the analysis of cases, leads to an emotional exhaustion of the parties involved. Furthermore, poor training of doctors in our country values the use of sophisticated diagnostic and treatment methods, rather than a thorough clinical examination and appropriate communication with the patient. Besides inefficient in protecting the doctor, Defensive Medicine has severe consequences to the patient and to society, since it generates an additional invaluable cost to medical practice, determines greater suffering to the patient and causes deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, which has always been marked by trust, respect and personhood.

Characterization of the intrahospital transport of critically ill patients

Objective: Characterizing the transport of critically ill patients in an adult intensive care unit.Methods: Cross-sectional study in which 459 intra -hospital transports of critically ill patients were included. Data were collected from clinical records of patients and from a form with the description of the materials and equipment necessary for the procedure, description of adverse events and of the transport team.Results: A total of 459 transports of 262 critically ill patients were carried out, with an average of 51 transports per month. Patients were on ventilatory support (41.3 %) and 34.5 % in use of vasoactive drugs. Adverse events occurred in 9.4% of transports and 77.3 % of the teams were composed of physicians, nurses and nurse technicians.Conclusion: The transport of critically ill patients occurred in the morning period for performing computerized tomographies (CT scans) with patients dependent on mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs. During the transports the equipment was functioning, and the adverse events were attributed to clinical changes of patients.

Intra-abdominal pressure as a predictor of acute kidney injury in postoperative abdominal surgery

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) could predict acute renal injury (AKI) in the postoperative period of abdominal surgeries, and which would be its cutoff value. Patients and methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the period from January 2010 to March 2011 in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of the University Hospital of Botucatu Medical School, UNESP. Consecutive patients undergoing abdominal surgery were included in the study. Initial evaluation, at admission in ICU, was performed in order to obtain demographic, clinical surgical and therapeutic data. Evaluation of IAP was obtained by the intravesical method, four times per day, and renal function was evaluated during the patient's stay in the ICU until discharge, death or occurrence of AKI. Results: A total of 60 patients were evaluated, 16 patients developed intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH), 45 developed an abnormal IAP (>7 mmHg) and 26 developed AKI. The first IAP at the time of admission to the ICU was able to predict the occurrence of AKI (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.669; p=0.029) with the best cutoff point (by Youden index method) >= 7.68 mmHg, sensitivity of 87%, specificity of 46% at this point. The serial assessment of this parameter did not added prognostic value to initial evaluation. Conclusion: IAH was frequent in patients undergoing abdominal surgeries during ICU stay, and it predicted the occurrence of AKI. Serial assessments of IAP did not provided better discriminatory power than initial evaluation.

Serum thiamine concentration and oxidative stress as predictors of mortality in patients with septic shock

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)