Critical Care Alert – July 1, 2017

July 1, 2017

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Treatment Guidelines

  This article provides a collaborative, evidence-based guideline for mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

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• Early Lung Recruitment Reduces Pulmonary Complications

  In postoperative cardiac surgery patients with hypoxemia at admission to the ICU, the brief application of an intensive recruitment maneuver followed by lung-protective ventilation was associated with reduced occurrence and severity of pulmonary complications.

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• Prophylactic Steroids Prevent Reintubation in Patients at Risk for Post-extubation Stridor

  This meta-analysis demonstrated the administration of steroids between one to 24 hours prior to extubation reduced the risk of reintubation for patients at risk for post-extubation stridor.

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• Assessing Serial Ventilator Settings May Help Reduce Duration of Antibiotic Courses for Suspected Ventilator-associated Pneumonia

  In mechanically ventilated patients with stable ventilator settings for at least three days, very short courses of antibiotics (< 3 days) for suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia were associated with similar outcomes when compared to longer courses (> 3 days).

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