Journal of Perioperative & Critical Intensive Care Nursing
Open Access

Brief Note on Critical Care for the Pulmonary System

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Introduction

Pulmonary critical care, also known as critical care medicine, is a subspecialty of emergency medicine that deals with injuries and diseases of the respiratory or pulmonary system, which includes the lungs, trachea, diaphragm, and other associated structures. Intensive treatment Pulmonologists are specially trained to treat patients with respiratory problems such as multi-system failure and other life-threatening conditions. They also work in intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals, alongside other critical care doctors and intensivists, to perform resuscitation and other procedures [1]. Gas exchange, especially the absorption of oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide, is the primary goal of the respiratory system. The latter is crucial for acid-base homeostasis to be maintained. This necessitates close ventilation regulation by the brain stem's respiratory centres. The respiratory drive measures the mechanical performance of the respiratory muscles by the strength of the respiratory centres' output (also known as breathing effort) [2]. Critical care providers and critical care pulmonologists are essential for patients with life-threatening pulmonary conditions at any stage of the process, from initial assessment to diagnosis and treatment. Since so many of these pulmonary diseases affect the rest of the body, a cystic fibrosis patient can develop a complication that necessitates surgery on an otherwise unrelated part of the body. Critical care pulmonologists are present and interested with every general health problem that the patient has in order to ensure the patient's respiratory health.

Patients are normally referred to the RICU from General Resuscitation departments; these patients (often with a tracheostomy) need continuous supervision and treatment aimed at full mechanical ventilator weaning or correcting a serious state of acute respiratory failure. Greater clinical control (constant monitoring of cardiovascular functions), ventilator assistance (if needed), and, most importantly, a higher level of nursing care are all goals of Respiratory Intensive Care Units. They are therefore highly specialised facilities that need highly skilled medical, nursing, and rehabilitation professionals who are suitably prepared to give the patient the prospect of regaining, even partially, autonomy through a multidisciplinary approach, thereby reducing management costs associated with long-term stays in areas of general resuscitation. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic respiratory failure are the most common targets (CRF). Monitoring entails continuously updating clinical and physiological (cardio-respiratory) parameters in order to gain a fast understanding of illness-related phenomena that can occur in patients at risk of ARF. The aim of this activity is to avoid or forecast aggravation, correct clinical uncertainty, and evaluate the results of a treatment [3].

The execution of the intervention plans developed for the patient, as well as the related supervision, is dependent on nursing staff and care workers. The medical staff's job is to ensure that the patient receives the best possible care and that any signs of deterioration or the need for emergency treatment are promptly addressed. Once the patient is discharged from the hospital, the team evaluates the efficacy of the treatments and confirms that the patient's objectives have been met, communicating this knowledge with the patient and/or the patient's family. They decide if the patient should be discharged from the hospital or placed on a continuing care plan. The doctor writes out the hospital discharge note, detailing the results of the tests and exams administered, the prescribed substance treatment, any home examinations, and the instructions that the patient must obey.

References

1. Jonkman AH, De Vries HJ, Heunks LM. Physiology of the respiratory drive in ICU patients: implications for diagnosis and treatment. Criti Care. 2020;24.
2. https://floridachest.com/pulmonary-blog/pulmonary-services-what-is-pulmonary-critical-care
3. https://www.villapineta.eu/web/index.php/en/medical-specialties/respiratory-intensive-care

References

1. Jonkman AH, De Vries HJ, Heunks LM. Physiology of the respiratory drive in ICU patients: implications for diagnosis and treatment. Criti Care. 2020;24.
2. https://floridachest.com/pulmonary-blog/pulmonary-services-what-is-pulmonary-critical-care
3. https://www.villapineta.eu/web/index.php/en/medical-specialties/respiratory-intensive-care