FOCUS: Journal for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine articles from July 2006

FOCUS: Journal for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine archives from July 2006

A note from the Publisher.
July 1, 2006... Welcome to the July/August issue of FOCUS. In this issue we bring you 25 interesting articles for your perusal. Dr. Herbert Patrick starts everyone off by asking a question of interest to both our respiratory as well as our sleep tech readers,...

Does sleep quality change by mode of mechanical ventilation?(RESPIRATORY RESEARCH)(Report)
July 1, 2006... The peer-reviewed research article selected to teach the scientific method in this column is: Belen Cabello MD, Arnaud W. Thille, MD, Xavier Drouot, MD, PhD, Fabrice Galia, Biomed Engineer Master, Jordi Mancebo, MD, Marie-Pia d'Ortho, MD, PhD,...

MRI safety addressed in Sentinel Event Alert.(Magnetic resonance imaging)(NEWS FROM THE JOINT COMMISSION)(Report)
July 1, 2006... Respiratory therapists were alerted to the safety risks of MRI's several years ago when a tragic accident claimed the life of a 6 year old child in New York. In this incident, a steel oxygen cylinder was apparently drawn into the magnetic core...

Orexin: a treatment for narcolepsy?(SLEEP MEDICINE)
July 1, 2006... Orexins are neuroexcitatory peptides that are secreted by special neurons in the hypothalamus. Peptides were initially studied for their role in appetite. Scientists later found that peptides also played a role in sleep and wake. In people with...

The stress index.(MECHANICAL VENTILATION)
July 1, 2006... A primary objective in modern ventilator care is to avoid injuring the already damaged lung. Investigators generally agree that over distention of open, aerated tissues and tidal opening and closure of unstable ones should both be avoided,...

Paragonimiasis and the lungs.(CLINICAL LABORATORY MEDICINE)
July 1, 2006... This column has always been dedicated to educating therapists in how to use data the clinical lab provides to better assess patients. Paragonimiasis is a unique clinical situation that can cause a real diagnostic nightmare, even in a teaching...

1968 remembered.(FOCUS ON EDUCATION)
July 1, 2006... Rewind four decades: 1968 was a very tough year in modern American history. The Vietnam War captured the headlines. It was a war the United States actually believed it was winning until the North Vietnamese overran our southern allies in a...

Leadership; Our future and change: building effective leaders for home care.(RESPIRATORY HOMECARE)
July 1, 2006... The home care industry received a shot in the arm with the passing of legislation that effectively delays competitive bidding, thanks in part to the efforts of home care providers, manufacturers and industry leaders. This latest action allows...

Respiratory failure.(RESPIRATORY CLINICAL KEEPER)(Report)
July 1, 2006... The function of the respiratory system, of course, is gas exchange. Oxygen is constantly being removed from the lungs by the flowing pulmonary capillary blood, and carbon dioxide is continuously being eliminated from the lungs during...

Aerosols with ventilators - all the nooks and crannies.(AEROSOL MEDICINE)(Report)
July 1, 2006... This is the second in a series of articles devoted to aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation. In the previous installment, we set the stage for this series by stipulating that patients on ventilators may require aerosolized medications....

Measuring BMR in the Pulmonary lab.(PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTING)
July 1, 2006... Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a measurement of oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), and the respiratory exchange ratio (RER). These parameters, taken together, are measured through a process referred to as indirect...

Warning: do not drive or operate dangerous machinery after performing Tai chi.(SLEEP MEDICINE)
July 1, 2006... Researchers at UCLA have found that the ancient Chinese martial art known as Tai chi chih could help older adults sleep better or get to asleep without resorting to potentially harmful or expensive medications. The research team was headed by...

Losta helping hands.(Respiratory Care On-Line)
July 1, 2006... In a stark conference room--numb family members listen intently as a doctor describes medical travesties, treatment options and interventions, and potential outcomes. Late night in the ICU waiting area--unidentifiable individuals succumb to an...

High-tech respiratory home care.(RESPIRATORY HOMECARE)
July 1, 2006... All respiratory home care companies provide their patients with oxygen, CPAP, bi-level pressure devices and compressor/nebulizers, but a relatively small number also offer high-tech respiratory home care. What I mean here, is equipment and...

With OSA diagnoses rising, CPAP manufacturers design more patient-friendly devices.(FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY)
July 1, 2006... Why did the sleep physician cross the road? To administer 18 million CPAP treatments on the other side. In theory, that's how many continuous positive airway pressure devices would be puffing along every night if each American diagnosed with...

Are you suffering from survivor's remorse?(ETHICS IN MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2006... The company did have too many employees. Expenses were out of control. The CEO was managerially deficient and both she and the CFO were fired. Ten percent of the employees were laid off but you're still on the payroll. The organization is...

Sleepless in Africa.(SLEEP MEDICINE)(Report)
July 1, 2006... I recently had the honor and privilege of traveling with a group of physicians to Africa, specifically the country of Tanzania, one of the poorest nations in the world. Tanzania is known for its tourist attractions ranging from Mt. Kilimanjaro...

Bio-Med devices' Crossvent 2+ Neonatal through pediatric ICU & transport ventilator.(STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK EQUIPMENT REVIEWS)
July 1, 2006... Readers may recall that the September 2005 issue of FOCUS contained a similar and very favorable equipment review of Bio-Med's newly-released CROSSVENT 3+[R] (CV 3+) by Mathews and Czervinske. Their review highlighted the newly-released color...

giving COPD patients more options for oxygen therapy.(FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY)
July 1, 2006... Over the past year, researchers have recognized that the worldwide burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is greater than it has been previously recognized. Many physicians believe the incidence of COPD will increase over the next 30...

Squeaky sneakers in the sleep lab.(SLEEP MEDICINE)
July 1, 2006... I bought a pair of white sneakers this year that I could wear when I was working in the sleep lab. To be safe, I looked up tennis shoes and the listing simply said, "Sneakers." So, I figure I'm pretty safe using the word sneakers even though...

The magic surgeon and the NICU.(NEONATAL RESPIRATORY CARE)
July 1, 2006... A surgeon in the 1930's once famously remarked that surgery had reached its zenith and they had "learned everything" that was important to know about surgery. Fortunately, he turned out to be famously wrong. The progress made in the various...

Xanthines: the side door bronchodilators.(RESPIRATORY PHARMACOLOGY)
July 1, 2006... In the last several articles we have discussed adrenergic bronchodilators or what I like to term "front door bronchodilators" and anticholinergic bronchodilators, which I term "backdoor bronchodilators" due to how they work on the sympathetic...

Ten cardinal personnel rules.(THE BUSINESS OF SLEEP)(Report)
July 1, 2006... What is a Cardinal Rule? It is a rule that should never be violated. You always adhere to it! Through thirty plus years of healthcare business ownership, leadership and management, I have developed and used these ten cardinal personnel rules....

Bedside assessment of the mechanically ventilated patient I.(RESPIRATORY CLINICAL)
July 1, 2006... Mechanical ventilation is the most common intervention in all of Critical Care and the implementation of it has blossomed in an exponential fashion. This can be attributed in large part to advances in medical and surgical therapeutics, the...

Current treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.(STUDENT PAPERS)(Disease/Disorder overview)
July 1, 2006... Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn is a cardiopulmonary disorder that is characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance and systemic arterial hypoxemia. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In PPHN, pulmonary artery pressures...

Hyperbaric medicine: is smoking a contraindication?(HYPERBARIC MEDICINE)
July 1, 2006... Should we treat patients who continue to smoke? Does smoking have a negative effect on healing and hyperbaric treatment? Dr. Eric Kindwall states in his textbook, "Hyperbaric Medicine Practice", "Healability of a chronic wound depends on...

SeQual Technologies names Ron Richard as chief executive officer.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... SeQual Technologies Inc., has announced the appointment of Ron Richard to the position of CEO. Mr. Richard most recently served as senior vice president of sales and marketing at SeQual Technologies and has more than 30 years of experience in...

Chad Therapeutics finds new home in Naples, Florida.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Inovo, Inc. announced that it has completed its relocation of CHAD Therapeutics' production and sales and marketing functions from California to Naples, Florida. Inovo acquired CHAD in February of this year. CHAD Therapeutics has been the...

GE healthcare to acquire Vital Signs for $860 million cash.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
July 1, 2006... General Electric Co has announced it will acquire medical-device maker Vital Signs Inc for $860 million, a move to expand its $17 billion health care operation into the single-use products market. Vital Signs, Inc., is a global provider of...

Itamar medical: FDA has accepted its Premarket 510(K) notification for the watch-PAT200.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Itamar Medical has announced that the FDA has accepted its Premarket 510(k) Notification for the Watch-PAT200. The Watch-PAT200 is the most recent development of the Watch-PAT technology, intended to offer sleep specialists and other physicians...

Hamilton medical, Inc. awarded premier agreement to offer Intelligent Ventilation to member facilities.(Intelligent Ventilation)
July 1, 2006... Hamilton Medical, Inc., the exclusive provider of Intelligent Ventilation and a leading developer of medical equipment, has signed an agreement with Premier, one of the largest group purchasing organizations in the United States. Hamilton...

Effect of therapeutic HME on VAP study additional research sites needed.(ARC Medical, Inc.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... With changes in Government reimbursement on the horizon, ARC Medical is looking for additional sites to provide data on the effect of the company's high performing HME devices on the VAP rate of a facility. In order to quality for the study the...

Sleep Medicine courses.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... SLEEP MEDICINE COURSES The Alabama School of Sleep Medicine and Technology employs unique instructional techniques with a mix of classroom and hands-on instruction to create the most comprehensive sleep education experience available. We...

New products from Itamar medical.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Itamar Medical Ltd., has developed and received FDA approval for the following two products: Watch-PAT 100--an innovative automated ambulatory sleep apnea system that provides the practitioner with a clinically proven finger probe interface...

Disposable [O.sub.2] conserving device.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Brought to you by the O2 conserving experts at Chad Therapeutics, the Oxymizer[R] is the simplest oxygen conserving device on the market, providing a savings ratio of up to 4:1 without the use of batteries, valves, or controls. This innovative...

HI flow delivery system.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... VAPOTHERM is a high flow heat and humidification device for the non-invasive delivery of inspired gas flows from 0.5 to 40 liters per minute. The unique technology delivers a perfect synchronization of flow, humidity, temperature and oxygen...

New lightweight ventilator.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Smiths Medical introduces the Pneupac VR1 [R]emergency and transport ventilator with air mix feature. This lightweight, ergonomically designed, palm-sized oxygen powered ventilator will provide 100% oxygen when necessary but can now, with a...

New total 02 delivery system.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The iVent201 ventilator is the most versatile ICU class ventilator on the market. In VersaMed's continuing commitment to providing cutting edge products to be used throughout the spectrum of care, we created the first full featured,...

Fingertip oximeter W/Bluetooth[R].(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Nonin Medical has introduced the Onyx[R] II, Model 9560, the world's first interoperable fingertip oximeter with Bluetooth[R] wireless technology. Designed for easy integration into medical ecosystems, numerous leading technology manufacturers...

Manual jet ventilator.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Instrumentation Industries, Inc.'s Manual Jet Ventilator and Transtracheal Catheter may be the emergency intervention of choice for the patient with facial trauma, partial airway obstruction, upper airway bleeding, or otherwise difficult airway...

Quality tracings and easy clean-up.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... FMI proudly distributes top quality sleep and neurology products from leading manufacturers. Nuprep[TM] skin prepping gel and conductive paste have been used successfully over the past 15 years in hundreds of sleep centers and hospitals in the...

Critical care respiratory carestation.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The Engstrom Carestation[R] is the first critical care respiratory carestation to offer integration throughout the care process. From the ICU to the Step-down unit, you have the ability to integrate ventilation with monitoring modules capable...

Polysomnography courses.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and Technology is a premier training facility for physicians, technicians & industry professionals in the field of sleep medicine. Our school is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical...

Outfit your lab or clinic with NSI.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... NeuroSupplies Integra (TM) is a leading distributor of a wide range of neurological and sleep studies supplies required for electroencephalograph, evoked potentials, electromyography and sleep disorders testing. We supply air pressure...

Original inductive plethysmograph.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc. provides the Intuctotrace original inductive plethysmograph design--standard for monitoring respiratory volume changes from the chest/abdominal wall. Respiratory patterns reflecting intercostal/abdominal changes,...

Automatic respiratory products.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... VORTRAN manufactures a line of low cost, single patient, automatic respiratory products: VORTRAN Automatic Resuscitator- MRI safe, automatic resuscitator for transport or emergency ventilation for pediatric/adult patients 22 Ibs. and above....

Roche high volume ABG analyzer.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The Roche cobas b 221 analyzer is a complete blood gas solution designed for high-volume use. Delivers time & cost efficiencies. Configurable menu has options for blood gas, electrolytes & metabolites. Built-in AutoQC[R] module holds up to 40...

Inductance plethysmography system.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The Sleepmate RIPmate (TM) meets the new AASM Technical Respiratory Rule recommendations for accreditation & scoring. Designed with a washable one-size-fits-all belt and buckle. Plugs directly into the AC input of any headbox with NO additional...

Maximize patient care.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Maximize patient care while facing reduced resources. Drager's EvitaXL offers a full range of ventilator performance and provides clinicians with a high degree of user-configurability. Drager has been a leader in developing such features as...

Versatile ECG/spirometry unit.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Futuremed introduces the P8000 Power, an economically priced instrument that lets the user start with a resting ECG and add spirometry or exercise stress testing. The P8000 has a full keyboard and the unit's high resolution screen allows real...

New sleep apnea full face mask.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Try the NEW Full Face V2 (TM) Mask from Hans Rudolph. Designed from years of feedback from sleep techs, patients, key sleep professionals, Therapists, Family Care Doctors & Homecare Dealers & Suppliers. The silicone rubber V2 (TM) Mask offers...

Leader in sleep medicine education.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)(Disease/Disorder overview)
July 1, 2006... The School of Sleep Medicine, Inc., a member of the Stanford Univ. Center of Excellence for the Diagnosis & Treatment of Sleep Disorders is globally recognized as the leader in sleep medicine education. We provide comprehensive,...

New face Mask CPAP system.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Airon Corporation is pleased to announce FDA marketing approval of MACS, the next generation Face Mask CPAP system for critical care. MACS is the most sophisticated, versatile and economical CPAP system available today. Designed for use on...

Maximize patient compliance.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The Swift(TM) LT is light to the touch, easy to fit and whisper quiet, offering superior comfort, stability and performance to maximize patient compliance. Ideal for active sleepers, the flexible, lightweight tubing allows for side and back...

Audio monitoring for the sleep lab.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Louroe Electronics manufactures audio monitoring systems; several of which are especially designed for sleep applications. The system delivers crisp, clear audio, allowing the technician to closely monitor the patient. The technician can listen...

Need CEU's tonight?(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... One -stop shopping for continuing education & career advancement exclusively for healthcare professionals. Highest quality, state-of-the-art, non-traditional educational programs & seminars available. Updated yearly, always timely. Stay ahead...

Portable medical oxygen system.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The Grab'nGo[R]-Vantage portable medical oxygen system from Praxair is a quick, easy, safe way to give patients medical oxygen. This portable, lightweight unit gives you medical grade US Pharmacopoeia oxygen at your fingertips, with the...

New cuffless supralaryngeal airway.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The SLIPA airway represents the first cuffless supralaryngeal airway that is superior to other equivalent airways because it maximizes on the space available for trapping and storing liquids that could be aspirated if regurgitation occurs...

Transtracheal oxygen.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Transtracheal Systems is a medical device manufacturing company that specializes in the design and production of innovative oxygen therapy products. Each product in our line is designed to improve oxygenation, ambulation, and quality of life...

New closed suction system.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... The Portex(R) Suction Pro(TM) 72 Closed Suction System, is designed for airway suctioning of critically ill patients and is indicated for 72 hours of continuous use. The closed system reduces risk of cross contamination and the lockable end cap...

SERVO ventilators from Maquet.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... For 30+ years, SERVO ventilators have been recognized as the leading name in ventilation technology. From its non-invasive option on the SERVO-i to the new SERVO-s for chronic care, SERVO is recognized for providing ventilation for neonatal,...

Education to advance your career.(PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS)
July 1, 2006... Advance your career on your schedule, 24/71 Independence University/CCHS offers Master's Bachelor's & Associate's degree programs for working professionals that need flexible programs to advance their careers. Independence University/CCHS has...