Technology aids babies who fail to take breath.Byline: Ron Gordon For The Register-Guard As unlikely as it may seem, sometimes infants are born and simply do not feel they need to breathe. They have just spent nine months in a liquid environment where breathing is not necessary, and when born, they do not feel the urge to start. The standard procedure for resuscitating such an infant is referred to as "A-B-C" - Airway airway /air·way/ (-wa) 1. the passage by which air enters and leaves the lungs. 2. a device for securing unobstructed respiration. , Breathing and Circulation. Establishing a breathing tube airway in an infant is called an emergency intubation intubation /in·tu·ba·tion/ (in?too-ba´shun) the insertion of a tube into a body canal or hollow organ, as into the trachea. endotracheal intubation . The procedure requires the caregiver care·giv·er n. 1. An individual, such as a physician, nurse, or social worker, who assists in the identification, prevention, or treatment of an illness or disability. 2. to slide a small, soft, straw-size tube past the tongue, down the back of the throat, between the vocal cords vocal cords: see larynx. Vocal cords The pair of elastic, fibered bands inside the human larynx. The cords are covered with a mucous membrane and pass horizontally backward from the thyroid cartilage (Adam's apple) to insert on and slightly into the infant's airway leading to the lungs. This provides a clear path for the air to get to the lungs. Now, the excellent news. McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center has purchased a state-of-the-art intubation tool that employs a fiber optic camera. This equipment enables the medical caregiver to view the procedure on a large computer monitor as the breathing tube is gently inserted between the infant's vocal cords. With the fiber optic camera, placing the tube through the infant's vocal cords is a much more accurate procedure because of the camera magnification Magnification A measure of the effectiveness of an optical system in enlarging or reducing an image. For an optical system that forms a real image, such a measure is the lateral magnification m . This enhanced viewing makes the procedure much easier on the infant because the intubation is accomplished in about six to 10 seconds, much faster than a typical intubation without the fiber optic camera. With this new device, infant intubation is not only much faster and more accurate, but also much less stressful to the newborn. Once the breathing tube is in place, the caregiver uses a second new piece of equipment, called the NeoPuff. This ventilation device is used to effectively ventilate ventilate, v 1. to provide with fresh air. v 2. to provide the lungs with air from the atmosphere. v 3. to open, to free, as in to openly express one's feelings. the infant while their urge to breathe is being established. Now, for the best news. The Women's Health Women's Health Definition Women's health is the effect of gender on disease and health that encompasses a broad range of biological and psychosocial issues. and Birth Center and Respiratory Care Department at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center jointly have spent months training a team of experienced registered nurses and respiratory therapists to provide a solid foundation for an Infant Resuscitation resuscitation /re·sus·ci·ta·tion/ (-sus?i-ta´shun) restoration to life of one apparently dead. cardiopulmonary resuscitation Team. Under the direction of a physician, this team is capable of responding to an emergency situation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Accurate intubation and effective ventilation will be provided whenever needed by a newborn. Much credit should be given to hospital administration for their unwavering support for this project. This technological leap in medically establishing a newborn airway was a rare opportunity, and now it is a reality at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. Ron Gordon is a registered respiratory therapist with McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. |
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