Time course of the Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis and muscular ultrasound in critically ill patients.

Purpose: Several different tools have been developed to integrate the clinical and biochemical nutritional evaluations in critical care patients. Aims of this study were to evaluate the changes in the Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) and ultrasonographic features of the diaphragm (DTee) and rectus femoris (RFCSA) during the first week of ICU stay.

Materials And Methods: Ninety-six adult mechanically ventilated patients enrolled within 24 h after the admission to the ICU (T1).

The assessment of esophageal pressure using different devices: a validation study.

Background: Although esophageal pressure measurement could help clinicians to improve the ventilatory management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients, it has been mainly used in clinical research. Aim of this study was to compare the measurements of end-expiratory esophageal pressure, end-expiratory transpulmonary pressure and lung stress by three systems: a dedicated manual device, taken as gold standard, a new automatic system (Optivent) and a bedside equipment, consisting of a mechanical ventilator and a hemodynamic monitor.

Methods: In sedated and paralyzed mechanically ventilated ARDS patients the esophageal pressure was measured at three PEEP levels in random fashion (baseline level, 50% higher and 50% lower).

Effect of mechanical power on intensive care mortality in ARDS patients.

Background: In ARDS patients, mechanical ventilation should minimize ventilator-induced lung injury. The mechanical power which is the energy per unit time released to the respiratory system according to the applied tidal volume, PEEP, respiratory rate, and flow should reflect the ventilator-induced lung injury. However, similar levels of mechanical power applied in different lung sizes could be associated to different effects.