Cuirass respirator treatment of chronic respiratory failure in scoliotic patients.

The results are reported of domiciliary cuirass respirator treatment, using tailor-made shells, in four patients with severe thoracic scoliosis. Three of the patients had suffered from poliomyelitis. All complained of increasing dyspnoea on exertion, ultimately interfering with almost every activity of daily life; three patients had severe acute respiratory failure necessitating urgent admission to the Respiratory Care Unit.

Prognosis of post-neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) treated with positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation (PEEP).

Thirty-six patients with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were treated with mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). In 16 patients the RDS was the result of direct pulmonary injury due to chest trauma (group A), and in 20 patients the RDS followed non-direct injury of the lungs (group B). Fifteen patients died.