Availability and use of noninvasive ventilation in the intensive care units of public, private and teaching hospitals in the greater metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To determine the availability of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation equipment, as well as the level of expertise and familiarity of physicians, nurses and physiotherapists with noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in the intensive care units of public, private and teaching hospitals in the greater metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: On-site administration of questionnaires. RESULTS: Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation equipment was widely available and was more commonly found in private hospitals than in teaching hospitals. Such equipment was least available in public hospitals, in which the predominant method was the use of mechanical ventilators designed for invasive ventilation and adapted to noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation. In private hospitals, continuous flow ventilators were more common, whereas, in teaching hospitals, ventilators specifically designed for noninvasive ventilation were typically employed. All physiotherapists felt themselves capable of initiating noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, compared with 72.6% of physicians and 33.3% of nurses. Physicians and physiotherapists presented high percentages of correct answers when asked about the indications and contraindications for the use of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation. Over a one year period, more physiotherapists read articles about noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation and participated in related classes than did physicians, who in turn did so more than did nurses. CONCLUSION: Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation equipment is widely available in the greater metropolitan area of São Paulo, although differences exist among public, private and teaching hospitals in terms of the type of equipment used. Physicians and physiotherapists exhibited considerable knowledge regarding the indications and contraindications for the use of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation. More physiotherapists felt themselves able to initiate noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation, and their knowledge of the subject was more current than was that of physicians or nurses.OBJETIVO: Avaliar o conhecimento da disponibilidade de equipamentos para ventilação não invasiva e o grau de conhecimento, atualização e familiaridade sobre ventilação não invasiva entre médicos, enfermeiros e fisioterapeutas em unidades de terapia intensiva de hospitais públicos, privados e de ensino da região metropolitana de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: Preenchimento de questionário no local. RESULTADOS: A disponibilidade de equipamentos para ventilação não invasiva na região metropolitana de São Paulo é elevada, sendo maior nos hospitais privados do que nos de ensino e em ambos é maior do que nos públicos. Nos hospitais públicos predomina o uso de aparelhos de ventilação invasiva adaptados para ventilação não invasiva. Nos hospitais privados predomina o gerador de fluxo e nos hospitais de ensino, os ventiladores específicos para ventilação não invasiva. Todos os fisioterapeutas sentiam-se aptos a instalar a ventilação não invasiva, contra 72,6% dos médicos e 33,3% dos enfermeiros. Médicos e fisioterapeutas tiveram grande percentagem de acertos nas indicações e contra-indicações da ventilação não invasiva, que foi menor para os enfermeiros. Em um ano, mais fisioterapeutas leram artigos científicos e participaram de aulas sobre ventilação não invasiva do que médicos, e estes mais que enfermeiros. CONCLUSÃO: A disponibilidade de equipamentos para ventilação não invasiva é elevada nos hospitais da região metropolitana de São Paulo, com diferenças no tipo de equipamento disponível. Médicos e fisioterapeutas têm elevado grau de acerto nas indicações e contra-indicações de seu uso. Fisioterapeutas sentem-se mais aptos a instalar a ventilação não invasiva e estão mais atualizados do que médicos e enfermeiros.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Faculdade de MedicinaCentro de Tratamento e Pesquisa do Hospital do CâncerUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Hospital das ClínicasUNIFESP, Faculdade de MedicinaSciEL

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation improves exercise tolerance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with better preserved fat-free mass

BACKGROUND: High-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation increases exercise tolerance in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD patients). However, it is conceivable that its benefits are more prominent in patients with better-preserved peripheral muscle function and structure. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation in COPD patients with better-preserved peripheral muscle function. Design: Prospective and cross-over study. METHODS: Thirty COPD patients were randomly assigned to either home-based, high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation or sham stimulation for six weeks. The training intensity was adjusted according to each subject's tolerance. Fat-free mass, isometric strength, six-minute walking distance and time to exercise intolerance (Tlim) were assessed. RESULTS: Thirteen (46.4%) patients responded to high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation; that is, they had a post/pre &#916; Tlim >10% after stimulation (unimproved after sham stimulation). Responders had a higher baseline fat-free mass and six-minute walking distance than their seventeen (53.6%) non-responding counterparts. Responders trained at higher stimulation intensities; their mean amplitude of stimulation during training was significantly related to their fat-free mass (r = 0.65; p<0.01). Logistic regression revealed that fat-free mass was the single independent predictor of Tlim improvement (odds ratio [95% CI] = 1.15 [1.04-1.26]; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation improved the exercise capacity of COPD patients with better-preserved fat-free mass because they tolerated higher training stimulus levels. These data suggest that early training with high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation before tissue wasting begins might enhance exercise tolerance in patients with less advanced COPD

Screening Of Miners And Millers At Decreasing Levels Of Asbestos Exposure: Comparison Of Chest Radiography And Thin-section Computed Tomography.

Chest radiography (CXR) is inferior to Thin-section computed tomography in the detection of asbestos related interstitial and pleural abnormalities. It remains unclear, however, whether these limitations are large enough to impair CXR´s ability in detecting the expected reduction in the frequency of these asbestos-related abnormalities (ARA) as exposure decreases. Clinical evaluation, CXR, Thin-section CT and spirometry were obtained in 1418 miners and millers who were exposed to progressively lower airborne concentrations of asbestos. They were separated into four groups according to the type, period and measurements of exposure and/or procedures for controlling exposure: Group I (1940-1966/tremolite and chrysotile, without measurements of exposure and procedures for controlling exposure); Group II (1967-1976/chrysotile only, without measurements of exposure and procedures for controlling exposure); Group III (1977-1980/chrysotile only, initiated measurements of exposure and procedures for controlling exposure) and Group IV (after 1981/chrysotile only, implemented measurements of exposure and a comprehensive procedures for controlling exposure). In all groups, CXR suggested more frequently interstitial abnormalities and less frequently pleural plaques than observed on Thin-section CT (p<0.050). The odds for asbestosis in groups of decreasing exposure diminished to greater extent at Thin-section CT than on CXR. Lung function was reduced in subjects who had pleural plaques evident only on Thin-section CT (p<0.050). In a longitudinal evaluation of 301 subjects without interstitial and pleural abnormalities on CXR and Thin-section CT in a previous evaluation, only Thin-section CT indicated that these ARA reduced as exposure decreased. CXR compared to Thin-section CT was associated with false-positives for interstitial abnormalities and false-negatives for pleural plaques, regardless of the intensity of asbestos exposure. Also, CXR led to a substantial misinformation of the effects of the progressively lower asbestos concentrations in the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases in miners and millers.10e011858

Skeletal muscle structure and function in response to electrical stimulation in moderately impaired COPD patients

Study objective: To determine the structural and functional consequences of high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation (hf-NMES) in a group of moderately impaired outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Design: A prospective, cross-over randomized trial.Setting: An university-based, tertiary center.Patients and materials: Seventeen patients (FEV1 = 49.6 +/- 13.4% predicted, Medical Research Council dyspnoea grades II-III) underwent 6-weeks hf-NMES (50 Hz) and sham stimulation of the quadriceps femoris in a randomized, cross-over design. Knee strength was measured by isokinetic dynamometry (peak torque) and leg muscle mass (LMM) by DEXA; in addition, median cross-sectional area (CSA) of type I and fibres and capillary-fibre ratio were evaluated in the vastus lateralis. the 6-min walking distance (6MWD) was also determined.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, SEFIC,Div Resp Dis,Dept Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Neuromusc Div, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Glasgow, Inst Biomed & Life Sci, Glasgow, Lanark, ScotlandUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, SEFIC,Div Resp Dis,Dept Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Neuromusc Div, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Characteristics of the study population separated by the criterion method (Thin-section CT).

<p>Data are frequency (%) or mean ± standard deviation.</p><p>*Smoking adjusted mean ± standard deviation.</p><p>^a p<0.050 comparing Asbestosis vs. Normal.</p><p>^b p<0.050 comparing Pleural plaques vs. Normal.</p><p>Characteristics of the study population separated by the criterion method (Thin-section CT).</p

Incidence rates of asbestosis and pleural plaques in groups of decreasing levels of asbestos exposure.

<p>Note that the marked reduction in incidence of both asbestosis and pleural plaques from Groups I to IV detected by Thin-section CT (TSCT) was not found in the CXR analysis.</p

Smoking-adjusted spirometric variables in patients who presented or not with pleural plaques on CXR and/or Thin-section CT in each group of exposure.

<p>Data are mean ± standard deviation.</p><p>*p<0.050 when comparing those CXR(-) Thin-section CT (+) versus CXR(-) Thin-section CT(-).</p><p>Smoking-adjusted spirometric variables in patients who presented or not with pleural plaques on CXR and/or Thin-section CT in each group of exposure.</p