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Biomedical subjects

T C Corbridge

Publications and source records attributed to T C Corbridge.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

The assessment and management of adults with status asthmaticus.

Despite advancing knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of asthma, asthma morbidity and mortality are on the rise. To help avert this trend, clinicians and patients must focus their attention on the early identification and treatment of asthma exacerbations. As in the words of Dr. Thomas Petty: " ... the best treatment of status asthmaticus is to treat it three days before it occurs." (7) Still, there will be asthmatics with life-threatening attacks that require careful assessment and aggressive management. Inhaled beta-agonists, systemic corticosteroids, and oxygen remain the drugs of choice in SA. Anticholinergics play a lesser role in the treatment of acute asthma, and debate continues regarding the efficacy of theophylline in this setting. Available data do not support the routine use of magnesium sulfate or antibiotics in patients with SA. Patients failing drug therapy should be considered early for intubation and mechanical ventilation. A strategy of mechanical ventilation that prolongs TE by limiting VE and decreasing inspiratory time, and that tolerates hypercapnia, avoids excessive lung hyperinflation and barotrauma and should improve the outcome of these most critically ill asthmatics. Intubated and mechanically ventilated patients should be aggressively sedated. Paralytic agents should be used only if adequate control of the cardiopulmonary status cannot be achieved by sedation alone. Minimizing the use of paralytic agents may decrease risk of myopathy and other adverse consequences of muscle paralysis. Finally, after successful treatment of a life-threatening episode of asthma, the treatment team should address prevention of future episodes of SA prior to discharge.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

Techniques for ventilating patients with obstructive pulmonary disease.

In patients with obstructive lung disease, a strategy of mechanical ventilation that prolongs expiratory time and limits lung hyperinflation can decrease barotrauma. To prolong expiratory time, decrease minute ventilation and inspiratory time. Side effects of this strategy--high peak pressures and hypercapnia--are generally well tolerated. Additional goals for COPD patients include resting and strengthening respiratory muscles and decreasing load on the respiratory system. Short-acting benzodiazepines and morphine are effective for sedation and analgesia. Paralytic agents should be considered only if adequate control of the patient's cardiopulmonary status cannot be achieved by sedation alone.

Barotrauma↗
PubMed1990

Adverse effects of large tidal volume and low PEEP in canine acid aspiration.

When normal lungs are ventilated with large tidal volumes (VT) and end-inspired pressures (Pei), surfactant is depleted and pulmonary edema develops. Both effects are diminished by positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). We reasoned that ventilatory with large VT-low PEEP would similarly increase edema following acute lung injury. To test this hypothesis, we ventilated dogs 1 h after hydrochloric acid (HCl) induced pulmonary edema with a large VT (30 ml/kg) and low PEEP (3 cm H2O) (large VT-low PEEP) and compared their results with dogs ventilated with a smaller VT (15 ml/kg) and 12 cm H2O PEEP (small VT-high PEEP). The small VT was the smallest that maintained eucapnia in our preparation; the large VT was chosen to match Pei and end-inspired lung volume. Pulmonary capillary wedge transmural pressure (Ppwtm) was kept at 8 mm Hg in both groups. Five hours after injury, the median lung wet weight to body weight ratio (WW/BW) was 25 g/kg higher in the large VT-low PEEP group than in the small VT-high PEEP group (p less than 0.05). Venous admixture (Qva/Qt) was similarly greater in the large VT-low PEEP group (49.8 versus 23.5%) (p less than 0.05). We conclude that small VT-high PEEP is a better mode of ventilating acute lung injury than large VT-low PEEP because edema accumulation is less and venous admixture is less. These advantages did not result from differences in Pei, end-inspiratory lung volume, or preload (Ppwtm).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗