Publications by authors named "Peggy Blood"
Analysis of diagnostic criteria for ECMO-associated pneumonia.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) significantly impacts critically ill patients and contributes to high rates of illness.
- The existing criteria for diagnosing VAP do not apply to patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
- This study analyzes the effectiveness of current VAP criteria for ECMO patients and evaluates a new proposed standard for diagnosing pneumonia in these individuals.
The percutaneous lead management kit (PLMK) was developed for the HeartMate 2 (HM2) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to reduce trauma at the exit site and to maintain a clean environment. REduce Driveline Trauma through StabIlization and Exit Site ManagemenT (RESIST) was a multicenter, prospective, nonrandomized study designed to evaluate the feasibility of the PLMK for managing the HM2 driveline exit site. Fifty patients were enrolled at five sites at a median of 495 days post-HM2 implant; 92% (46 of 50) of patients used the PLMK for a minimum of 30 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Infection rates for ventricular assist devices (VADs) are improving but the presence of infections remains problematic. Intraperitoneal pump placement may decrease the rate of infection.
Methods: This study is a single-institution, retrospective comparison of infections for an extraperitoneal vs an intraperitoneal position with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sheet separating the VAD from visceral organs.
Background: Initiating outpatient therapy with ventricular assist devices (VAD) was important in the progress of mechanical circulatory support. This article reviews our experience with VAD therapy from the start of our outpatient program until the present.
Methods: Medical records of patients who received a Thoratec para-corporeal VAD, HeartMate vented electrical VAD, or HeartMate pneumatic VAD between 12/1/97 and 9/1/01 were reviewed.