title: [The development of a bedside cart for the management of acute respiratory failure with non-invasive ventilation in Internal Medicine wards].
abstract: In order to improve the organization of a General Medical ward without a real critical care area and to optimize treatment of patients with acute respiratory failure, we developed a cart for non-invasive ventilation to be used at the patient bedside. In the rear panel, we set two i.v. drip poles used for i.v. therapy and to hold two Venturi-like flow generators for continuous positive airway pressure. On the top, two ventilators are present, a smaller one (domiciliary) and a bigger one (intensive care unit ventilator). In the front panel, there are 4 drawers called "blood - drugs", "oxygenation", "CPAP", "ventilation", in which all the devices for ventilation, oxygenation, aerosol and medical therapy are easily and quickly available. The management of acute respiratory failure is simpler, easier and safer with this cart: each necessary device is immediately available, and this avoids wasting time. This bedside non-invasive ventilation cart, as far as the cardiac emergency cart, can be useful in general medical wards lacking a critical care area in order to improve interventions in patients with acute respiratory failure.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lari
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.forename: Novella
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scandellari
authors.forename: Virna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zecchi
authors.forename: Gianpaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bragagni
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giostra
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Battista
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000295:instrumentation; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D063087:Noninvasive Ventilation / Q000295:instrumentation; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*; D014186:Transportation / Q000295:instrumentation*