Respiratory mechanics in the intensive care unit

Modern neonatal intensive care units use a large number of monitoring and therapeutic devices. Most of them have alarms with varying degree of standardisation. Mechanical ventilator alarms alert clinicians about technical problems with equipment, acute deterioration of the patient, changes in his or her clinical condition or in respiratory mechanics. However, frequent ventilator alarms interfere with developmental care and they may lead to alarm fatigue, missed alarms and clinical incidents. In this article, we discuss the most important ventilator alarms and their clinical significance. We also provide advice how to respond to ventilator alarms and how to set alarm limits.

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To the editor: Measurement of respiratory mechanics in the pediatric intensive care unit: A comparison of techniques during pressure- and volume-limited ventilation

Pediatric Pulmonology ◽

10.1002/1099-0496(200009)30:3<265::aid-ppul12>3.0.co;2-q ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 265-267 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T. Manczur ◽

A. Greenough ◽

G.F. Rafferty ◽

D. Pryor ◽

A.D. Milner

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit ◽

Respiratory Mechanics ◽

Pediatric Intensive Care ◽

Comparison Of Techniques

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The Psychosocial Aspects of Feeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Beyond

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00097 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (6) ◽

pp. 1507-1515

Author(s):

Lauren L. Madhoun ◽

Robert Dempster

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽

Hospital Discharge ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Oral Feeding ◽

Medical Attention ◽

Primary Role ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

The Family

Purpose Feeding challenges are common for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While sufficient oral feeding is typically a goal during NICU admission, this can be a long and complicated process for both the infant and the family. Many of the stressors related to feeding persist long after hospital discharge, which results in the parents taking the primary role of navigating the infant's course to ensure continued feeding success. This is in addition to dealing with the psychological impact of having a child requiring increased medical attention and the need to continue to fulfill the demands at home. In this clinical focus article, we examine 3 main areas that impact psychosocial stress among parents with infants in the NICU and following discharge: parenting, feeding, and supports. Implications for speech-language pathologists working with these infants and their families are discussed. A case example is also included to describe the treatment course of an infant and her parents in the NICU and after graduation to demonstrate these points further. Conclusion Speech-language pathologists working with infants in the NICU and following hospital discharge must realize the family context and psychosocial considerations that impact feeding progression. Understanding these factors may improve parental engagement to more effectively tailor treatment approaches to meet the needs of the child and family.

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