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Dentsply Cavitron Diamond Inserts provide improved efficacy in removing calculus from furcations. A total of 60 extracted human mandibular molar teeth had artificial calculus applied to the furcations, then were randomly treated with either sharp universal Gracey curettes (HAND), a plain ultrasonic TFI-10 tip in a cavitron instrument (CAV), or one of 2 diamond-coated cavitron instruments (TFI-10 fine-grit (FIN) and TFI-10 medium-grit (MED)) When the time needed to completely clean the furcations was evaluated, MED was the fastest, followed by FIN, CAV, and HAND, respectively. All of the powered instruments were faster than hand curettes with regard to effective in vitro calculus removal in furcations. The use of these types of instruments would reduce the time required to perform periodontal surgery and might improve regenerative therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac arrest (CA) remains a major cause of death despite advancements in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), post-resuscitation care, and international efforts to develop evidence-based guidelines. Effectively managing ventilation and oxygenation during and after CPR is vital for patient survival and neurological outcomes, yet it remains a challenging task. This review examines current strategies for ventilation and oxygenation during and after CPR, focusing on evidence-based guidelines, the balance between ventilation effectiveness and risks, and proposed methods for monitoring ventilation quality. It emphasizes the need to provide adequate ventilation and oxygenation during and after CPR while avoiding hyperventilation and hypoventilation, which can negatively impact resuscitation and post-CA outcomes. The review also explores mechanical ventilation as an alternative to manual methods and the use of feedback devices. The impact of post-CA ventilation and oxygenation on patient outcomes and recommended management strategies are discussed. Finally, the review highlights current gaps in the literature and the need for more well-designed large clinical studies, such as the impact of different ventilation variables (tidal volume and respiratory rate) on the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and long-term outcomes., (Copyright © 2024 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

The use of monoclonal antibodies for the control of drug resistant nosocomial bacteria may alleviate a reliance on broad spectrum antimicrobials for treatment of infection. We identify monoclonal antibodies that may prevent infection caused by carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. We use human immune repertoire mice (Kymouse platform mice) as a surrogate for human B cell interrogation to establish an unbiased strategy to probe the antibody-accessible target landscape of clinically relevant A. baumannii. After immunisation of the Kymouse platform mice with A. baumannii derived outer membrane vesicles (OMV) we identify 297 antibodies and analyse 26 of these for functional potential. These antibodies target lipooligosaccharide (OCL1), the Oxa-23 protein, and the KL49 capsular polysaccharide. We identify a single monoclonal antibody (mAb1416) recognising KL49 capsular polysaccharide to demonstrate prophylactic in vivo protection against a carbapenem resistant A. baumannii lineage associated with neonatal sepsis mortality in Asia. Our end-to-end approach identifies functional monoclonal antibodies with prophylactic potential against major lineages of drug resistant bacteria accounting for phylogenetic diversity and clinical relevance without existing knowledge of a specific target antigen. Such an approach might be scaled for a additional clinically important bacterial pathogens in the post-antimicrobial era., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The OpenOximetry Repository is a structured database storing clinical and lab pulse oximetry data, serving as a centralized repository and data model for pulse oximetry initiatives. It supports measurements of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) by arterial blood gas co-oximetry and pulse oximetry (SpO2), alongside processed and unprocessed photoplethysmography (PPG) data and other metadata. This includes skin color measurements, finger diameter, vital signs (e.g., arterial blood pressure, end-tidal carbon dioxide), and arterial blood gas parameters (e.g., acid-base balance, hemoglobin concentration). Data contributions are encouraged. All data, from desaturation studies to clinical trials, are collected prospectively to ensure accuracy. A common data model and standardized protocols for consistent archival and interpretation ensure consistent data archival and interpretation. The dataset aims to facilitate research on pulse oximeter performance across diverse human characteristics, addressing performance issues and promoting accurate pulse oximeters. The initial release includes controlled lab desaturation studies (CLDS), with ongoing updates planned as further data from clinical trials and CLDS become available., Competing Interests: Competing Interests The UCSF Hypoxia Research Laboratory receives funding from pulse oximeter manufacturers/sponsors to test the sponsors’ devices for the purposes of product development and regulatory performance testing. Data submitted by the UCSF Hypoxia Lab for this repository do not include Hypoxia Lab sponsors’ study devices unless the sponsor provides consent to include these data. Otherwise, all UCSF Hypoxia Lab data are collected from devices procured by the Hypoxia Lab for the purposes of independent research. At the time of this publication, no pulse oximeter company provides direct funding for the Open Oximetry Project, participates in study design or analysis, or is involved in the creation of this data repository. None of the investigators who maintain this database own stock or equity interests in any pulse oximeter device companies. AIW holds equity and management roles in Ataia Medical. Atia Medical was not involved in study design, funding, or any portion of the study. There are no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Comic storyboards that participants co-create can function as generative data collection tools when integrated into interviews or focus groups in a qualitative-rhetorical study. As a preliminary stage of a study, user testing comic storyboards can help ensure that they are generative and participant-informed, the latter being especially important when researching issues related to participant vulnerability, such as stigma. This article discusses the exigency, user testing, adaptation, and affordances of comic storyboards as data collection or story elicitation tools in a study of provider-enacted HIV stigma. Our user testing of comics storyboards enabled us to implement more responsive, participant-centered, and participatory forms of data collection. Given that the goal of this study is to develop anti-stigma provider training materials in the form of comics, participants' contributions through user testing not only helped us improve our data collection in the main study, but also generated input that informed our conceptualization and drafting of provider training comics., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Chronic respiratory disease disproportionately affects residents of Appalachia, particularly those residing in Central Appalachia. Asthma is particularly burdensome to Central Appalachian residents regarding cost and disability. Improving our understanding of how to mitigate these burdens requires understanding the factors influencing asthma control among individuals with asthma living in Central Appalachia, specifically rural Kentucky., Methods: This community-based, cross-sectional epidemiologic study used survey data to identify characteristics associated with uncontrolled and controlled asthma. The designation of "uncontrolled asthma" was based on a self-report of ≥ 2 asthma exacerbations in the past year. Individuals with ≤ 1 or no exacerbations were considered to have controlled asthma. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests assessed the association between categorical variables and asthma control categories. Logistic regression was conducted to determine the impact of factors on the likelihood of uncontrolled asthma., Results: In a sample of 211 individuals with self-reported asthma, 29% ( n  = 61, 46 females) had uncontrolled asthma. Predictors of uncontrolled asthma included depression (odds ratio 2.61, 95% CI 1.22-5.61, p = .014) and living in multi-unit housing (odds ratio 4.99, 95% CI 1.47-16.96, p = .010) when controlling for age, sex, financial status, and occupation. Being overweight or obese was not a predictor of uncontrolled asthma. Physical activity and BMI did not predict the likelihood of uncontrolled asthma., Conclusion: This study highlights significant challenges rural communities in Appalachian Kentucky face in managing asthma. Factors like depression, housing conditions, and a lack of self-management strategies play pivotal roles in asthma control in this population.

Acne is a common skin condition in adolescent patients but much less common in childhood. Pediatric providers should be familiar with the varying presentations in the pediatric population and recognize when additional physical signs of hyperandrogenism are present. This article details the pathogenesis and presentation of acne in infancy, mid-childhood, and preadolescence. The differential diagnosis is discussed and recommendations for initial workup, referral, and treatment are provided. [ Pediatr Ann . 2024;53(4):e115-e120.] .

Background: Gender disparity in authorship broadly persists in medical literature, little is known about female authorship within pulmonary medicine., Methods: A bibliometric analysis of publications from 2012 to 2021 in 12 journals with the highest impact in pulmonary medicine was conducted. Only original research and review articles were included. Names of the first and last authors were extracted and their genders were identified using the Gender-API web. Female authorship was described by overall distribution and distribution by country/region/continent and journal. We compared the article citations by gender combinations, evaluated the trend in female authorship, and forecasted when parity for first and last authorship would be reached. We also conducted a systematic review of female authorship in clinical medicine., Results: 14,875 articles were included, and the overall percentage of female first authors was higher than last authors (37.0% vs 22.2%, p<0.001). Asia had the lowest percentage of female first (27.6%) and last (15.2%) authors. The percentages of female first and last authors increased slightly over time, except for a rapid increase in the COVID-19 pandemic periods. Parity was predicted in 2046 for the first authors and 2059 for the last authors. Articles with male authors were cited more than articles with female authors. However, male-male collaborations significantly decreased, whereas female-female collaborations significantly increased., Conclusions: Despite the slow improvement in female authorship over the past decade, there is still a substantial gender disparity in female first and last authorship in high-impact medical journals in pulmonary medicine., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest JL discloses research funding from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd, Aerogen Ltd, and Rice Foundation, and speaker fees from American Association for Respiratory Care, Aerogen Ltd, Heyer Ltd, and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd. JL also serves as section editor for Respiratory Care. JBS discloses research funding from Teleflex and speaker fees from Aerogen and Medline Industries, LP., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Emergence of pathogens with decreased sensitivity to succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides is a global agronomical issue. Analysis of Didymella tanaceti isolates ( n = 173), which cause tan spot of pyrethrum ( Tanacetum cinerariifolium ), collected prior to (2004 to 2005) and after (2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014) the commercial implementation of boscalid in Tasmanian pyrethrum fields identified that insensitivity developed over time and has become widespread. To evaluate temporal change, isolates were characterized for frequency of mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase (Sdh) B, C, and D subunits associated with boscalid resistance, mating type, and SSR genotype. All isolates from 2004 and 2005 exhibited wild-type (WT) Sdh alleles. Seven known Sdh substitutions were identified in isolates collected from 2009 to 2014. In 2009, 60.7% had Sdh substitutions associated with boscalid resistance in D. tanaceti . The frequency of WT isolates decreased over time, with no WT isolates identified in 2014. The frequency of the SdhB-H277Y genotype increased from 10.7 to 77.8% between 2009 and 2014. Genotypic evidence suggested that a shift in the population structure occurred between 2005 and 2009, with decreases in gene diversity ( uh ; 0.51 to 0.34), genotypic evenness (E 5 ; 0.96 to 0.67), genotypic diversity (G; 9.3 to 6.8), and allele frequencies. No evidence was obtained to support the rapid spread of Sdh genotypes by clonal expansion of the population. Thus, insensitivity to boscalid has developed and become widespread within a diverse population within 4 years of usage. These results suggest that D. tanaceti can disperse insensitivity through repeated frequent mutation, sexual recombination, or a combination of both., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is used to deliver warm and humidified gases to patients in respiratory failure. A purported advantage of HFNC oxygen therapy is that it can allow for oral feeding while on the device, although few data support this practice. The purpose of this study was to identify practices and opinions with regard to feeding practices during HFNC oxygen therapy., Methods: A survey related to the practice and opinions of feeding practices during HFNC oxygen therapy was developed and sent to respiratory therapists, speech-language pathologists, physicians, advanced practice providers, and registered dietitians., Results: Respondents included 307 professionals from 14 different countries. Most respondents worked in an academic/teaching hospital ( n = 174 [56.7%]) with patients ages ≥ 18 years ( n = 282 [91.9%]). Most respondents stated that their institution did not have a specific feeding protocol for HFNC oxygen therapy ( n = 246 [80.4%]) and felt that patients could have an oral diet during HFNC oxygen therapy if not in imminent danger of being intubated ( n = 264 [86.3%]). Fewer than half of the respondents felt that patients should have a bedside/clinical swallow examination before eating and/or drinking during HFNC oxygen therapy ( n = 143 [46.7%]). By profession, most physicians/advanced practice providers ( n = 67 [59.3%]), respiratory therapists ( n = 37 [62.7%]) and half of the registered dietitians ( n = 16 [50%]) felt that bedside/clinical swallow examinations were unnecessary before eating and/or drinking with HFNC, but speech-language pathologists were in favor ( n = 77 [75.5%])., Conclusions: Most facilities did not have a protocol to guide feeding practices when HFNC oxygen therapy is used. Most clinicians felt that an oral diet is safe for stable patients not in danger of being intubated. In general, speech-language pathologists felt that patients on HFNC oxygen therapy should undergo a bedside/clinical swallow examination before eating and/or drinking., Competing Interests: Dr LaGorio has disclosed relationships with Orphazyme and the Florida Dysphagia Institute. Dr Scott has disclosed relationships with Teleflex, Aerogen, and Medline Industries. The other authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Background: Endotracheal tube (ETT) scraping or sweeping refers to mucus removal from an ETT that can increase airway resistance. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of ETT scraping on the duration of mechanical ventilation, time to first successful spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), duration of hospital stay, and occurrence of ventilator-associated events (VAEs)., Methods: This was a single-center, randomized clinical trial of adult subjects intubated between October 2019-October 2021. Subjects were randomly assigned to either ETT suctioning via a standard in-line suction catheter (control group) or ETT suctioning and scraping via a suction catheter with balloon-sweeping technology (experimental group). Airway suctioning was performed as clinically indicated, and the ETT was scraped every time a respiratory therapist suctioned the subject. The study outcome was duration of mechanical ventilation, time to first successful SBT, hospital length of stay, and VAE rate. Intent-to-treat statistical analysis was performed., Results: Of 272 randomized subjects, the median age was 63 (interquartile range [IQR] 52-73) y; 143 (53%) were males, and 154 (57%) had a primary diagnosis of acute respiratory failure. There were no significant differences between the groups in median duration (h) of mechanical ventilation (72 [37-187] vs 70.6 [37-148], P = .58). There was no significant difference between the study groups in median time (h) to the first successful SBT (46.7 [IQR 30-87] vs 45.7 [IQR 27-95], P = .81), length of hospital stay ( P = .76), the incidences of ventilator-associated conditions ( P = .13), or infection-related ventilator-associated complications ( P = .47)., Conclusions: ETT suctioning plus scraping, compared to ETT suctioning alone, did not significantly improve the duration of mechanical ventilation, time to first successful SBT, length of hospital stay, and VAEs. These study findings do not support the routine use of ETT scraping for mechanically ventilated patients., Competing Interests: Dr Scott discloses relationships with Teleflex, Aerogen, and Medline Industries, LP. Dr. Kaur discloses a relationship with the American Association for Respiratory Care. Dr Vines discloses relationships with Teleflex Medical, Inc, and the Rice Foundation. The other authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Introduction. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major threat to public health worldwide. It is the causative agent for multiple disease presentations including urinary tract infection, septicemia, liver abscess, wound infection and respiratory tract infection. K. pneumoniae causes community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia, which is a devastating disease associated with high mortality rates. Hypothesis. There is a growing concern about the emergence of multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae strains complicating the treatment with the current available therapeutics; therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of new antimicrobial agents. Aim. K. pneumoniae causes an acute respiratory disease in mice and in the current work we investigated the capability to perform non-invasive monitoring of bioluminescent Klebsiella to monitor therapeutic efficacy. Methodology. We engineered a bioluminescence reporter strain of K. pneumoniae to monitor the impact of antibiotics in a murine respiratory disease model. Results. We demonstrate that bioluminescence correlates with bacterial numbers in host tissues allowing for a non-invasive enumeration of bacterial replication in vivo . Light production is directly linked to bacterial viability, and this novel bioluminescent K. pneumoniae strain enabled monitoring of the efficacy of meropenem therapy in arresting bacterial proliferation in the lung. Conclusion. The use of non-invasive bioluminescent imaging improves preclinical animal model testing to detect study outcome earlier and with higher sensitivity.

Background: During high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy, flow plays a crucial role in the physiological effects. However, there is no consensus on the initial flow settings and subsequent titration. Thus, we aimed to systematically synthesize the effects of flows during HFNC treatment., Methods: In this systematic review, two investigators independently searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane for in vitro and in vivo studies investigating the effects of flows in HFNC treatment published in English before July 10, 2022. We excluded studies that investigated the pediatric population (< 18 years) or used only one flow. Two investigators independently extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. The study protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022345419., Results: In total, 32,543 studies were identified, and 44 were included. In vitro studies evaluated the effects of flow settings on the fraction of inspired oxygen (F I O 2 ), positive end-expiratory pressure, and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) washout. These effects are flow-dependent and are maximized when the flow exceeds the patient peak inspiratory flow, which varies between patients and disease conditions. In vivo studies report that higher flows result in improved oxygenation and dead space washout and can reduce work of breathing. Higher flows also lead to alveolar overdistention in non-dependent lung regions and patient discomfort. The impact of flows on different patients is largely heterogeneous., Interpretation: Individualizing flow settings during HFNC treatment is necessary, and titrating flow based on clinical findings like oxygenation, respiratory rates, ROX index, and patient comfort is a pragmatic way forward., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This manuscript proposes an electrical definition of therapeutic dose for spinal-cord systems used for the treatment of chronic pain, analogous to the pharmacological definition. Dose-response relationships are fundamental to pharmacology, radio-therapy, and other treatments, but have never been properly established for neuromodulation. This manuscript offers a robust measure of dose, pre-requisite to establishing a reliable and repeatable dose-response relationship. The new definition, enabled by the system transresistance obtained from measurement of evoked action potentials, recognizes the mechanism of action of spinal cord stimulation (SCS), and should improve acceptance of the therapy as compared to pharmacological treatments which are currently used more frequently for the treatment of chronic pain. The new definition suggests methods for personalization and standardization of the dose in SCS, and is potentially generalizable to all neuromodulation therapies in which nervous tissue is excited including sacral nerve stimulation (SNS), vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep-brain stimulation (DBS). Formulas are provided, and applied using patient data. Powerful conclusions are drawn from application of the new measure.

Background: The ways in which researchers may need to adapt traditional community-based participatory research engagement strategies during ongoing community trauma are understudied. We describe our efforts to engage the Flint, Michigan community in community-based participatory research in the aftermath of the Flint Water Crisis., Objectives: This manuscript describes 1) recruitment strategies selected before the Flint Water Crisis, 2) engagement lessons learned in the context of the Flint Water Crisis, and 3) barriers and facilitators encountered while engaging African American churches., Methods: Researchers collaborated with community partners to engage and recruit a traumatized Flint community into the Church Challenge, a multilevel intervention to reduce chronic disease burden., Lessons Learned: Recruitment and engagement strategies must be flexible, innovative, and may require nontraditional methods., Conclusions: Flexibility and adaptability are crucial for engaging with a traumatized community. Community-based participatory research work in traumatized communities must acknowledge and respond to community trauma to be successful.

Federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs) provide psychosocial counselling in addition to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) using a patient-centered approach in providing substance use disorder treatment. This study explored factors associated with patients' adherence to counselling while receiving MOUD at an OTP. A retrospective cohort design using data on adult patients (n = 1151, 61% females, 39% males) admitted to an OTP from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2016, was employed. The data were for single episodes of care up to 52 weeks. Survival analysis (cox proportional hazards regression) assessed the relationship of personal characteristics, socio-economic status, payment for services, type of substance use, comprehensive care and social support with counselling for up to a year. Results indicated that age, having services paid for by public means, was associated with counselling adherence. Primary heroin use patients had a higher risk of counselling adherence failure than patients who primarily used non-medicinal prescription substances. Treatment agencies may benefit from funding and using evidence-based practices for primary heroin use patients and young adults to better engage and retain these populations in treatment., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: Dr Vines discloses relationships with Teleflex Medical, the Rice Foundation, and Theravance Biopharma. Dr Scott discloses relationships Teleflex and Aerogen. Dr Kaur discloses a relationship with the American Association of Respiratory Care. Dr Trump discloses a relationship with Fisher and Paykel. Ms Jackson discloses a relationship with Fisher & Paykel. Dr Li discloses relationships with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Heyer, Aerogen, the Rice Foundation, the American Association for Respiratory Care, and also serves as Section Editor for Respiratory Care. The other authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Prone positioning (PP) has been used extensively for patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation for hypoxemic respiratory failure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that PP was beneficial during the pandemic, as it improves oxygenation and might improve chances of survival, especially in those with a continuum of positive oxygenation responses to the procedure. Additionally, the pandemic drove innovation regarding PP, as it brought attention to awake PP (APP) and the value of an interdisciplinary team approach to PP during a pandemic. APP appears to be safe and effective at improving oxygenation; APP may also reduce the need for intubation in patients requiring advanced respiratory support like high-flow nasal cannula or noninvasive ventilation. Teams specifically assembled for PP during a pandemic also appear useful and can provide needed assistance to bedside clinicians in the time of crisis. Complications associated with PP can be mitigated, and a multidisciplinary approach to reduce the incidence of complications is recommended., Competing Interests: Dr Scott discloses relationships with Teleflex, Aerogen, and Medline Industries. Dr Li discloses relationships with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Aerogen, The Rice Foundation, American Association for Respiratory Care, and Heyer. Dr Li also serves as section editor for Respiratory Care. Mr Weiss discloses a relationship with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare., (Copyright © 2022 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Background: Compassionate extubation (CE) refers to withdrawing mechanical ventilation and allowing a patient to die peacefully at the end of life. The primary objective of this pilot study was to quantify the emotional impact of CE on Respiratory Therapists (RT) and Registered Nurses (RNs)., Methods: This pilot survey was conducted between March and April 2021 at an academic medical center among RTs and RNs. It included questions on participants' demographics, work characteristics, and Impact of Events (IES) scale to assess the subjective stress caused by CE. Data were analyzed using descriptive and χ 2 statistics., Results: Among 20 participants, 18 (90%) were females, 12 (60%) were in the 20-40-year age group, 12 (60%) were RTs, and 8 (40%) RNs. Around 15 (75%) participants worked day shifts with a weekly average of 3-4 shifts, and 14 (70%) performed/observed CE within 1 month before taking this survey. CE performed/observed in a month was ≤2 among 15 (75%) and 3-5 among 4 (20%) participants. Mean total IES score was 16.7 (12.3) among all participants representing 7 (35%) having low, 6 (30%) moderate, and 7 (35%) high emotional impact when performing CE. Risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was present in 6 (30%) participants. A significantly higher number of participants in the low impact group were satisfied with the institutional CE process ( p = 0.043) than those in the medium/high impact group., Conclusion: This pilot study findings reveal that RTs and RNs experience moderate to high levels of subjective stress when performing CE. One-third of the survey participants were at risk of developing PTSD., Competing Interests: RK discloses research funding from American Association of Respiratory Care. DV discloses research funding from Teleflex Medical, Inc. and Rice Foundation, and speaker fees from Theravance Biopharma. JBS discloses research funding from Teleflex and speaker fees from Aerogen and Medline Industries, LC. EC, AF and VJL reports no potential conflict of interest.

Artificial airway suctioning is a key component of airway management and a core skill for clinicians charged with assuring airway patency. Suctioning of the artificial airway is a common procedure performed worldwide on a daily basis. As such, it is imperative that clinicians are familiar with the most-effective and efficient methods to perform the procedure. We conducted a systematic review to assist in the development of evidence-based recommendations that pertain to the care of patients with artificial airways. From our systematic review, we developed guidelines and recommendations that addressed questions related to the indications, complications, timing, duration, and methods of artificial airway suctioning. By using a modified version of the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, the following recommendations for suctioning were developed for neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients with an artificial airway: (1) breath sounds, visual secretions in the artificial airway, and a sawtooth pattern on the ventilator waveform are indicators for suctioning pediatric and adult patients, and an acute increase in airway resistance may be an indicator for suctioning in neonates; (2) as-needed only, rather than scheduled, suctioning is sufficient for neonatal and pediatric patients; (3) both closed and open suction systems may be used to safely and effectively remove secretions from the artificial airway of adult patients; (4) preoxygenation should be performed before suctioning in pediatric and adult patients; (5) the use of normal saline solution should generally be avoided during suctioning; (6) during open suctioning, sterile technique should be used; (7) suction catheters should occlude < 70% of the endotracheal tube lumen in neonates and < 50% in pediatric and adult patients, and suction pressure should be kept below -120 mm Hg in neonatal and pediatric patients and -200 mm Hg in adult patients; (8) suction should be applied for a maximum of 15 s per suctioning procedure; (9) deep suctioning should only be used when shallow suctioning is ineffective; (10) routine bronchoscopy for secretion removal is not recommended; and (11) devices used to clear endotracheal tubes may be used when airway resistance is increased due to secretion accumulation., Competing Interests: Dr Scott discloses a relationship with Teleflex. The other authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and the need for positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) are significant postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) that increase patients' lengths of stay, mortality, and costs. Current tools used to predict PPCs use nonmodifiable preoperative factors; thus, they cannot assess provided respiratory therapy effectiveness. The Respiratory Assessment and Allocation of Therapy (RAAT) tool was created to identify HAP and the need for PPV and assist in assigning respiratory therapies. This study aimed to assess the RAAT tool's reliability and validity and determine if allocated respiratory procedures based on scores prevented HAP and the need for PPV., Methods: Electronic medical record data for nonintubated surgical ICU subjects scored with the RAAT tool were pulled from July 1, 2015-January 31, 2016, using a consecutive sampling technique. Sensitivity, specificity, and jackknife analysis were generated based on total RAAT scores. A unit-weighted analysis and mean differences of consecutive RAAT scores were analyzed with RAAT total scores ≥ 10 and the need for PPV., Results: The first or second RAAT score of ≤ 5 (unlikely to receive PPV) and ≥ 10 (likely to receive PPV) provided a sensitivity of 0.833 and 0.783 and specificity of 0.761 and 0.804, respectively. Jackknifed sensitivity and specificity for identified cutoffs above were 0.800-0.917 and 0.775-0.739 for the first RAAT score and 0.667-0.889 and 0.815-0.79 for the second RAAT score. The initial RAAT scores of ≥ 10 predicted the need for PPV ( P < .001) and was associated with higher in-hospital mortality ( P < .001). Mean differences between consecutive RAAT scores revealed decreasing scores did not need PPV., Conclusions: The RAAT scoring tool demonstrated an association with the need for PPV using modifiable factors and appears to provide a quantitative method of determining if allocated respiratory therapy is effective., Competing Interests: Dr Vines discloses relationships with Theravance Biopharma, Teleflex Medical, and the Rice Foundation. Dr Scott discloses a relationship with Teleflex Medical. The remaining authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Introduction: The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) has been used to assess individual readiness for health behavior change. We describe our use of the TTM to assess organizational readiness of African-American churches to participate in the Church Challenge (CC) in Flint, Michigan; the processes of change that moved churches toward readiness for change; and lessons learned., Methods: The CC was a faith-based, multilevel intervention to reduce chronic disease risk. A community-based participatory approach was used to engage and recruit churches. We used the TTM to capture church readiness for change and track church progress through the five stages., Results: We engaged with 70 churches: 35 remained in Stage 1 (precontemplation), 10 remained in Stage 2 (contemplation), 3 remained in Stage 3 (preparation), 5 made it to Stage 4 (action), and 17 finished within Stage 5 (maintenance). Churches engaged in several processes of change as they moved through the various stages of change., Lessons Learned: Utilizing processes of change, establishing rapport, and having previous participants share success stories helped move churches from stage-to-stage. However, certain barriers prevented progression, such as burnout/trauma from the Flint Water Crisis and scheduling conflicts., Discussion: Faith-based organizational readiness greatly impacted participation in the CC. Researchers should utilize established social capital, build rapport, and remain flexible when working with African-American churches., Conclusion: Although traditionally used at the individual level, the TTM works well at the organizational level to assess and monitor church readiness to participate in community-engaged research and health programming to improve health in an African-American faith community.

Background: Optimal flow settings during high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy are unknown. We investigated the optimal flow settings during HFNC therapy based on breathing pattern and tidal inspiratory flows in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF)., Methods: We conducted a prospective clinical study in adult hypoxemic patients treated by HFNC with a fraction of inspired oxygen (F I O 2 ) ≥ 0.4. Patient's peak tidal inspiratory flow (PTIF) was measured and HFNC flows were set to match individual PTIF and then increased by 10 L/min every 5-10 min up to 60 L/min. F I O 2 was titrated to maintain pulse oximetry (SpO 2 ) of 90-97%. SpO 2 /F I O 2 , respiratory rate (RR), ROX index [(SpO 2 /F I O 2 )/RR], and patient comfort were recorded after 5-10 min on each setting. We also conducted an in vitro study to explore the relationship between the HFNC flows and the tracheal F I O 2 , peak inspiratory and expiratory pressures., Results: Forty-nine patients aged 58.0 (SD 14.1) years were enrolled. At enrollment, HFNC flow was set at 45 (38, 50) L/min, with an F I O 2 at 0.62 (0.16) to obtain an SpO 2 /F I O 2 of 160 (40). Mean PTIF was 34 (9) L/min. An increase in HFNC flows up to two times of the individual patient's PTIF, incrementally improved oxygenation but the ROX index plateaued with HFNC flows of 1.34-1.67 times the individual PTIF. In the in vitro study, when the HFNC flow was set higher than PTIF, tracheal peak inspiratory and expiratory pressures increased as HFNC flow increased but the F I O 2 did not change., Conclusion: Mean PTIF values in most patients with AHRF were between 30 and 40 L/min. We observed improvement in oxygenation with HFNC flows set above patient PTIF. Thus, a pragmatic approach to set optimal flows in patients with AHRF would be to initiate HFNC flow at 40 L/min and titrate the flow based on improvement in ROX index and patient tolerance., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03738345). Registered on November 13th, 2018. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03738345?term=NCT03738345&draw=2&rank=1., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Restrictive dermopathy (RD) is a rare and lethal laminopathy caused by mutations in LMNA or ZMPSTE24. This series reports 3 patients with RD and reviews the literature of the 113 previously reported cases, including highlights of the unique constellation of clinical findings in RD, as well as histologic, radiographic, and genetic features. Early recognition of these characteristic features is vital to establish a prompt diagnosis and provide adequate family counseling for this terminal condition., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The diversity of the U.S. population is currently not reflected in the genomic workforce and across the greater scientific enterprise. Although diversity and inclusion efforts have focused on increasing the number of individuals from underrepresented groups across scientific fields, structural racism remains. Thus, the cultivation and adoption of diversity as an ethos requires shifting our focus to being intentional about an institution's character, culture, and climate. One way for this ethos to be sustained is by facilitating an intentional anti-racism approach within the field. Adopting a new perspective on diversity utilizing an anti-racism approach will support genomics researchers as we build supportive, collaborative research environments. We seek to expand critical thought in the framing of diversity in the research enterprise and propose an anti-racism approach that informs deliberate actions required to address structural racism., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.