There is no consensus concerning the best system of humidification during long-term noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV). In a technical pilot randomised crossover 12-month study, 16 patients with stable chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure received either heated humidification or heat and moisture exchanger. Compliance with long-term NIMV, airway symptoms, side-effects and number of se...

In preterm infants, the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation is associated with ventilator-induced lung injuries and subsequent bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The aim of the present review was to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of injury that involve cytokine-mediated inflammation to contribute to the development of new preventive strategies. Relevant articles were retrieved ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between time on mechanical ventilation and anthropometric, clinical and pulmonary function variables, measured early, in infants on invasive mechanical ventilation with acute respiratory failure due to viral bronchiolitis, and the temporal progression of variables with significant correlations. METHODS Twenty-nine infants admitted to the pediatric intensi...

BACKGROUND The effect of obesity on outcomes in critically ill patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation in a medical intensive care unit (ICU) is uncertain. OBJECTIVES This study was intended to further explore the relationship between outcomes and obesity in patients admitted to a medical ICU who required invasive mechanical ventilation. METHODS All adult patients admitted to the...

BACKGROUND Advance directives (AD) may promote preference-concordant care yet are absent in many patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In order to begin to inform AD discussions between clinicians and COPD patients, we constructed a decision tree to estimate the impact of alternative AD decisions on both quality and quantity of life (quality adjusted life years, QALYs). ...

Mild to severe respiratory dysfunction is still a common issue after cardiac surgery. Postoperative respiratory complications are associated with prolonged hospitalization and worse survival. In this high-risk surgery, non-invasive ventilation could have relevant positive effects. The present narrative concise review aims to summarize available data on the role of non-invasive ventilation befor...