A patient with bilateral vocal cord paralysis developed chronic respiratory failure. Treatment with nocturnal inspiratory positive airway pressure via nasal mask improved symptoms and reduced hypercapnia.

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-pap), administered by nasal mask in patients with acute respiratory failure due to acute exacerbation of COPD. DESIGN Prospective non-randomized study in a hospital setting. METHODS Eighteen patients were recruited from those admitted in the Chest Unit of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi with acute exacerba...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate target concentrations at the effect site of propofol and remifentanil when deep sedation was achieved by monitored anesthesia care (MAC) anesthesia and related respiratory depression during vein stripping surgery for varicose veins. METHODS In total, 51 adult patients who were scheduled for varicose vein stripping surgery were ...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of noninvasive assist-control ventilation (ACV) and pressure support ventilation (PSV) by nasal mask on respiratory physiologic parameters and comfort in acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). DESIGN A prospective randomized study. SETTING A medical ICU. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS Fifteen patients with COPD and AHRF were consecutively and rand...

Swine flu is a life threatening respiratory disease which originally spread among pigs. The virus easily mutates and is transmitted within human population through coughing or direct contact with infected person. It is caused by type-A influenza virus of subtypes H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2 and H2N3. The use of proper medical mask has been widely known to protect the user from incoming virus through...

Growing concern over the availability of Respiratory protective devices (eg, filtering facepiece Respirators), in the face of the probable extreme demand brought on by a pandemic influenza, has prompted the suggestion that useful life of N95 filtering facepiece Respirator can be extended by the concurrent use of a surgical mask as an outer protective barrier over the Respirator. Personal protec...

The efficacy and complications of bilevel positive airway pressure nasal mask ventilation for 22 patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure were reviewed retrospectively. The median patient age was 73 years (range, 57-92 years). The most common primary diagnosis (77%) was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The median duration of ventilation was 72.0 hours (range, 0.9 hours to 35 da...

A 42 year old woman underwent bronchoscopy with procedural propofol sedation. During the procedure, the patient suffered respiratory arrest, and bag-mask ventilation was initiated. During forced mask ventilation, abdominal distention occurred. Even after correct placement of an endotracheal and a nasogastric tube, high inspiratory pressures persisted. The abdominal CT scan revealed a high amoun...

N Engl J Med 2007;357:e4. Copyright © 2007 Massachusetts Medical Society. Indications Providing positive-pressure ventilation with a face mask and a bag-valve device can be a lifesaving maneuver. Although seemingly simple, the technique requires an understanding of the airway anatomy, the equipment, and the indications. Face-mask ventilation is used in patients who have respiratory failure but ...