Publications by authors named "Sally M Tricomi"
Background: Because reflux of gastric juice into the oropharynx must precede its aspiration into the lungs, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the detection of pepsin (the major gastric enzyme in gastric juice) in oral secretions may provide a relatively noninvasive method of predicting risk for aspiration.
Objective: To describe the incidence of pepsin in oral and tracheal secretions collected concurrently from a sample of 50 gastric-fed patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.
Methods: An exploratory descriptive design with a convenience sample from 4 medical and surgical intensive care units.
Background: A common complaint after endotracheal tube use is sore throat, which may be due to abrasion, ischemia-reperfusion injury, or an inflammatory reaction. Few studies have evaluated localized tracheal inflammation as part of the response to intubation.
Methods: Inflammation of the trachea due to intubation was assessed in a swine model by following indicators of inflammation over time in the tracheal lumen.