| Popis: |
Airway management is essential for critical care practitioners. Knowledge of airway adjuncts and ventilators can help prevent intubation and allow for quicker discontinuation of mechanical ventilation. Prolonged intubation leads to higher mortality, longer length of stay, and higher hospital costs. In neurocritical care units, patients are often intubated for neurologic reasons; these are categorized as follows: 1. A primary central nervous system process, with no acute underlying pulmonary process, where the patient is intubated for airway protection due to decreased level of arousal 2. Cessation of central respiratory drive due to severe neurologic injury involving the brainstem 3. Neurologic injury triggering lung injury that in turns causes mechanical failure (neurogenic pulmonary edema) 4. Ventilatory (hypercarbic) failure caused by peripheral nervous disorders (high spinal cord injuries, myasthenia gravis, or Guillain-Burre syndrome) |
