Ventilated, acutely critically ill patients may experience significant diaphragmatic atrophy within the first two weeks of mechanical ventilation, according to a new Mt. Sinai School of Medicine study. Researchers used bedside ultrasound and charts to determine the diaphragm thickness of 20 intensive care unit (ICU) patients, within 48 hours of intubation. Weekly follow-up images were obtained until patients were either removed from the ventilator or died. [click link for full article]
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