In a recent discussion concerning the use of the forced oscillation technique (FOT), PRIDE [ 1] stated that, although anaesthesia and intensive care are among the obvious areas of application of the method, there is very little information on these applications. The paper by PEsuN et al. [2] in the present issue of the Journal describes one of the first attempts to apply the FOT to mechanically...

BACKGROUND Prevention of hypoxia and thus secondary brain injury in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is critical. However there is controversy regarding the role of endotracheal intubation in the prehospital management of TBI. OBJECTIVE To describe the outcome of TBI with various airway management methods employed in the prehospital setting in the Cape Town Metropole. METHODS The study was a co...

Despite application of preventive measures in bundles, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains the most common nosocomial infection, leading to increases in mechanical ventilation duration, ICU stay and healthcare costs [1]. Although two meta-analyses report a half reduction of VAP following use of endotracheal tubes (ETTs) with subglottic secretion drainage (SSD) [2], these devices are n...

BACKGROUND A life-threatening attack of asthma that leads to intensive care unit (ICU) admission, intubation, or both identifies patients at high risk of subsequent morbidity and mortality and represents a major cost burden. OBJECTIVE To assess the rates, characteristics, and costs of ICU admissions and intubations among asthma-related hospitalizations. METHODS This analysis was performed u...

BACKGROUND Conventional chest physical therapy (CCPT), applied by therapists using cupped hands to perform percussion, is commonly used in hospitalized adults. However, increased work load demands and occupational health concerns (eg, carpal tunnel syndrome) limit the overall utilization of this therapy. Therefore, we conducted a study to compare the overall effectiveness of CCPT to high-frequ...

Background: Endotracheal intubation (EI) is a critical life-saving procedure commonly performed on emergency department (ED) patients who present with altered mental status (AMS). Aims: We aimed to investigate the safety of observing, without EI, ED decreased levels consciousness (LOC). Methods: reviewed data all adult Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≤ 8, during period between 2012 and 2018, in ...

PURPOSE The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if a difference existed between nosocomial pneumonia rates for intubated critical care unit (CCU) patients who received twice-daily oral hygiene care with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate and those who received the standard oral care. METHODS Over seven months (February to August), CCU patients were identified through screening and informe...

INTRODUCTION Many intensive care unit (ICU) patients describe pain and other adverse feelings that may impact long-term psychological morbidity. Sympathetically mediated palmar skin conductance variability is related to emotionally induced perspiration and correlates with pain levels in the perioperative setting but has not been studied in ICU patients. METHODS Twenty non-intubated and 20 int...

INTRODUCTION In critically ill patients, re-intubation is common and may be a high-risk procedure. Anticipating a difficult airway and identifying high-risk patients can allow time for life-saving preparation. Unfortunately, prospective studies have not compared the difficulty or complication rates associated with reintubation in this population. METHODS We performed a secondary analysis of a...