Kyphoscoliosis ventilatory insufficiency: noninvasive management outcomes.

Objective: To determine the effects on symptoms, pulmonary function, sleep, and other clinical variables of treating kyphoscoliosis-associated chronic alveolar hypoventilation with nocturnal nasal ventilation. Design: Sixteen patients with kyphoscoliosis were treated with nocturnal nasal ventilation delivered by volume-cycled (seven patients) and pressure-cycled (nine patients) ventilators. Dyspnea, morning headaches, fatigue, hypersomnolence, and perceived sleep quality were assessed. Results: All pretreatment symptoms improved significantly with nasal ventilation. Likewise, Pao 2 (mm Hg), Pao 2 /Fio 2 , Paco 2 (mm Hg), pH, and forced vital capacity (in milliliters and as a percentage of p…

Punciones arteriales: ¿siempre la radial y siempre con anestesia?

Contestación a la carta de los Dres. F. Barbé, B. Togores y A.G.N. Agustí

Optimal maintenance system for offshore wind turbines

In the last years, the industry of wind power generators has developed in many aspects. The offshore plants have some benefits over the onshore ones but their implementation is really expensive.Based in that cost, this paper describes the importance of applying an optimal maintenance based in priorities and cost. It also studies the maintenance types and proposes a scheme of maintenance for offshore plants.

Entrenamiento de los músculos ventilatorios

Ventilación asistida vía máscara nasal en pacientes hospitalizados en una sala de neumología por descompensación de su obstrucción crónica al flujo aéreo

Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of assisted ventilation through a nasal mask (AVN) in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who were admitted to a pneumology ward due to decompensation, with PaCO2 > 60 mmHg and pH < 7.35. We studied 13 COPD patients who were first observed for 1-2 days until adaptation and then given 2 daily sessions of AVN lasting 4 hours with double positive pressure (DP90) devices through Sullivan mask with a cannula for hyperoxia. Gasometric readings were recorded, along with subjective assessment of condition and problems with the mask. Gasometric readings were taken as follows: the first upon admission to the ward (AW), the second with AV…

Tabu search algorithms for an industrial multi-product and multi-objective assembly line balancing problem, with reduction of the task dispersion

This paper presents a real-world industrial application of the multi-product and multi-objective assembly line balancing problem, for a company involved in the production of four models of a white goods product. The problem solved is a GALBP-2, with 10 workstations and multiple objectives (to maximize the production rate in order to deal with an increase of the demand forecasted, to reach an equal cycle time of all the models and an equal workload of the different workstations, and finally, to minimize the dispersion of worker tasks on each one of the different models-the common tasks of the different models at the same workstation). The paper presents an integrated approach based on four h…

Long-Term Oxygen Therapy