To determine factors that predispose or protect healthcare workers from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), we conducted a retrospective cohort study among 43 nurses who worked in two Toronto critical care units with SARS patients. Eight of 32 nurses who entered a SARS patient's room were infected. The probability of SARS infection was 6% per shift worked. Assisting during intubation, suc...

Cough etiquette and respiratory hygiene are forms of source control encouraged to prevent the spread of respiratory infection. The use of surgical masks as a means of source control has not been quantified in terms of reducing exposure to others. We designed an in vitro model using various facepieces to assess their contribution to exposure reduction when worn at the infectious source (Source) ...

We describe the use of an endoscopy face mask with a perforated membrane, which allows a nasogastric tube for continuous noninvasive ventilation in acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, in 2 patients who developed gastric distention. This interface was able to avoid most nonintentional leaks through the mask, as compared with a conventional approach, improving ventilation efficiency. To our k...

BACKGROUND Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) is commonly used to improve ventilation and oxygenation in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). Mask leak and intolerance due to facial discomfort or claustrophobia often occur with NPPV and are frequently cited reasons for treatment failure. METHODS Retrospective review of patient records from a tertiary-care referral hosp...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short term benefit of high-flow nasal oxygen cannula (HFNC) with nonrebreathing mask in terms of change of dyspnea, physiologic variables, and patient comfort in subjects after endotracheal extubation. METHODS: A randomized cross-over study was conducted in a 10-bed respiratory care unit in a university hospital. Seventeen mechanically ventilated subjects were randomiz...

INTRODUCTION Portable pressure ventilators, or bi-level ventilators, do not typically have an oxygen control, and thus supplemental oxygen is usually administered by adding it into the mask or the circuit. We conducted this study to test the hypothesis that delivered oxygen concentration using this configuration is affected by the choice of leak port, oxygen injection site, and ventilator setti...

background : we aimed to compare hemodynamic and endocrine alterations caused by stress response due to proseal laryngeal mask airway and endotracheal tube usage in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. methods : sixty-three asa i-ii patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included in the study. patients were randomly allocated into two groups of endotracheal tube and proseal ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of and patient tolerance for nasal and full-face masks during noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) with patients suffering acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. SETTING A respiratory medicine ward of a referral hospital. METHODS Fourteen patients were randomized to 2 groups. Seven used nasal masks and 7 used full-face mask...

The use of intermittent positive-pressure ventilation via nasal mask with a rocking bed provided the necessary ventilatory support for a person with quadriplegia living at home. This option was required to maintain an independent life-style of choice. The combination of techniques and the linkage of devices demonstrated an effective use of simple available technology for respiratory care at hom...