Eduardo Ériko Tenório de França

Fisioterapia em pacientes críticos adultos: recomendações do Departamento de Fisioterapia da Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira

Complications from immobility in intensive care unit patients contribute to functional decline, increased healthcare costs, reduced quality of life and higher post-discharge mortality. Physical therapy focuses on promoting recovery and preserving function, and it may minimize the impact of these complications. A group of Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine physical therapy experts developed this document that contains minimal physical therapy recommendations appropriate to the Brazilian real-world clinical situation. Prevention and treatment of atelectasis, procedures related to the removal of secretions and treatment of conditions related to physical deconditioning and functional decline are discussed. Equally important is the consideration that prescribing and executing activities, mobilizations and exercises are roles of the physical therapist, whose diagnosis should precede any intervention.

Influência da mobilização precoce na força muscular periférica e respiratória em pacientes críticos

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of an early mobilization protocol on respiratory and peripheral muscles in critically ill patients. METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with 59 male and female patients on mechanical ventilation. The patients were divided into a conventional physical therapy group (control group, n=14) that received the sectors standard physical therapy program and an early mobilization group (n=14) that received a systematic early mobilization protocol. Peripheral muscle strength was assessed with the Medical Research Council score, and respiratory muscle strength (determined by the maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures) was measured using a vacuum manometer with a unidirectional valve. Systematic early mobilization was performed on five levels. RESULTS: Significant increases were observed for values for maximal inspiratory pressure and the Medical Research Council score in the early mobilization group. However, no statistically significant improvement was observed for maximal expiratory pressure or MV duration (days), length of stay in the intensive care unit (days), and length of hospital stay (days). CONCLUSION: The early mobilization group showed gains in inspiratory and peripheral muscle strength.

Influência da força da musculatura periférica no sucesso da decanulação

INTRODUCTIONnTracheostomy is probably the most common surgical procedure in critically ill patients and is generally performed to facilitate mechanical ventilation weaning. Evidence-based guidelines have confirmed the benefits of tracheostomy weaning protocols and of the physiotherapists engagement in this process; however, no consensus decannulation criteria are currently available. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of peripheral muscle strength and other indicators on decannulation success.nnnMETHODSnThis was an observational retrospective study that analyzed the medical records of patients admitted to the medical and surgical intensive care unit of Hospital Agamenon Magalhães between March 2007 and August 2009. Respiratory and peripheral muscle strengths were evaluated in decannulated patients.nnnRESULTSnOverall, 1,541 patients were evaluated, 143 of which had been tracheostomized, and only 57 of which had been decannulated. Forty-six patients had a satisfactory decannulation outcome, while 11 had decannulation failure, requiring the return to an artificial airway within 2 weeks. The calculated Medical Research Council peripheral muscle strength score was significantly lower for the failure group than for the successful decannulation group (28.33 ± 15.31 vs. 41.11 ± 11.52; P = 0.04). Scores above or equal 26 had 94.4% sensitivity and 50.0% specificity for the decannulation outcome, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.7593. In addition, white blood cell counts were higher in decannulation failure group patients (14,070 ± 3,073 vs. 10,520 ± 3,402 cells/μL; P = 0.00).nnnCONCLUSIONnThis study has shown that peripheral muscle strength and blood leucocyte counts evaluated on the day of decannulation may influence the tracheostomy decannulation success rate.

Estudo comparativo entre os sistemas de umidificação aquoso aquecido e trocador de calor e de umidade na via aérea artificial de pacientes em ventilação mecânica invasiva

BACKGROUND: In patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation through endotracheal tubes, the use of humidifiers is essential. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate temperature and relative humidity levels in the gas administered to patients undergoing mechanical ventilation by means of heated water humidifiers (HWH) and hygroscopic heat and moisture exchangers (HHME). METHOD: This was a prospective randomized study on 20 patients divided into two groups: one group using HWH (n=10) and the other using the Hygrobac S model of HHME, made by Mallinckrodt® (n=10). The variables analyzed were: temperature and relative humidity levels of the gas, minute volume (MV), tidal volume (VT) and condensation volume. RESULTS: It was found that HWH attained lower temperatures than did HHME (29.01 ± 1.33 °C versus 30.14 ± 1.24 °C; p<0.001). The relative humidity was higher in HWH than in HHME (97.45 ± 5.22% versus 89.87 ± 11.04%; p<0.021). The condensation volume in the ventilator circuit for the group using HWH was greater than for the HHME group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that both systems (HWH and HHME) supplied absolute humidity that was below recommended values, while the HWH offered higher relative humidity. On the other hand, HHME produced better performance regarding gas heating.

Pico de fluxo expiratório e resistência do sistema respiratório de pacientes sob ventilação mecânica submetidos a duas formas de tosse manualmente assistida

OBJECTIVEnMechanical ventilation is associated with retained airway secretions. Manually assisted cough contributes to the displacement of bronchial mucus, whereas positive end-expiratory pressure increases collateral ventilation and maintains airway patency. This study aimed to assess the effects of manually assisted cough, either alone or added to increased positive end-expiratory pressure and inspiratory time (optimized manually assisted cough), on the expiratory peak flow and respiratory system mechanics in mechanically ventilated patients.nnnMETHODSnIn this controlled and randomized clinical trial, respiratory mechanics and expiratory peak flow were assessed in male and female patients undergoing either tracheal suctioning alone, manually assisted cough followed by tracheal suctioning or optimized manually assisted cough followed by tracheal suctioning.nnnRESULTSnThirty-five patients completed the trial. Respiratory system resistance was significantly reduced after optimized manually assisted cough (16.0 ± 3.6 versus 12.4 ± 3.1 cmH2O/L/s; p = 0.04). The expiratory peak flow during optimized manually assisted cough was significantly higher in comparison with the values observed during manually assisted cough (112.3 ± 15.6 versus 95.8 ± 18.3 Lpm; p < 0.05). Both values were significantly higher than the values observed in the group undergoing tracheal suctioning alone (52.0 ± 7.6 Lpm; p < 0.001).nnnCONCLUSIONnOptimized manually assisted cough increases the expiratory peak flow in comparison with manually assisted cough; in addition, this procedure reduces respiratory system resistance.

Effects of controlled and pressure support mechanical ventilation on rat diaphragm muscle

PURPOSEnThe objective of this study was to analyze the effects of Pressure Controlled Ventilation mode (PCV-C) and PSV mode in diaphragm muscle of rats.nnnMETHODSnWistar rats (n=18) were randomly assigned to the control group or to receive 6 hours of PCV and PSV. After this period, animals were euthanized and their diaphragms were excised, frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored in at -80º C for further histomorphometric analysis.nnnRESULTSnResults showed a 15% decrease in cross-sectional area of muscle fibers on the PCV-C group when compared to the control group (p<0.001) and by 10% when compared to the PSV group (p<0.05). Minor diameter was decreased in PCV-C group by 9% when compared with the control group (p<0.001) and by 6% when compared to the PSV group (p<0.05). When myonuclear area was analyzed, a 16% decrease was observed in the PCV-C group when compared to the PSV group (p<0.05). No significant difference between the groups was observed in myonuclear perimeter (p>0.05).nnnCONCLUSIONnShort-term controlled mechanical ventilation seems to lead to muscular atrophy in diaphragm fibers. The PSV mode may attenuate the effects of VIDD.

Mecânica respiratória de pacientes neurocríticos sob ventilação mecânica submetidos à umidificação aquosa aquecida e a um modelo de filtro trocador de calor

OBJECTIVESnIn mechanically ventilated patients, humidifier devices are used to heat and moisturize the inspired gas. Heating and humidifying inspired gas may prevent complications associated with the respiratory mucosa dryness such as mucus plugging and endotracheal tube occlusion. Two devices have been commonly used to this, either heated humidifier or the heat moisture exchange filter. This study aimed to compare the effects of the heated humidifier and a model of heat moisture exchange filter on respiratory mechanics in mechanically ventilated neurological patients.nnnMETHODSnThis was a randomized crossover trial, involving 31 neurological patients under mechanical ventilation randomly assigned to the humidification devices. Expired tidal volume, peak inspiratory flow, peak expiratory flow, static compliance, dynamic compliance and respiratory system resistance were evaluated. Statistical analysis used the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Students t test for paired samples, in which P values < 0.05 were considered significant.nnnRESULTSnThe heat moisture exchanger filter decreased expired tidal volume, peak inspiratory flow, peak expiratory flow (p < 0.001) and dynamic compliance (p = 0.002), and increased respiratory system resistance (p < 0.001).nnnCONCLUSIONnIn the studied population, the use of a heat moisture exchange filter model leaded to several changes on respiratory mechanics parameters.