Clinical benefits of prone positioning in the treatment of non-intubated patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure: a rapid systematic review.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in critically unwell patients with type 1 respiratory failure. In an attempt to reduce the number of patients requiring mechanical ventilation, prone positioning (PP) of non-intubated patients has been added to many hospital guidelines around the world. We set out to conduct a systematic review of the evidence relating to PP in the non-intubated patient with type 1 respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 and other causes.

Effectiveness and risks of cricoid pressure during rapid sequence induction for endotracheal intubation.

Background: Rapid sequence induction (RSI) for endotracheal intubation is a technique widely used in anaesthesia, emergency and intensive care medicine to secure an airway in patients deemed at risk of pulmonary aspiration. Cricoid pressure is conceptually used to reduce the risk of aspiration by compressing the oesophagus.

Objectives: To identify and evaluate all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving participants undergoing elective or emergency airway management via RSI and compare participants who have cricoid pressure administered with participants who do not have cricoid pressure administered.

Transmembrane topology of FRO2, a ferric chelate reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Iron uptake in Arabidopsis thaliana is mediated by ferric chelate reductase FRO2, a transmembrane protein belonging to the flavocytochrome b family. There is no high resolution structural information available for any member of this family. We have determined the transmembrane topology of FRO2 experimentally using the alkaline phosphatase fusion method.