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Communicating with Ventilated Patients
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Picture of JeffWhitnack
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Hi everybody,

I am the editor of the Adult Acute Care Section Bulletin. I am seeking information as regards any insights, research, tools, used for communicating with mechanically ventilated patietns.

I'm not talking about Passy Muir valves on trached patients, but for ET intubated patients in ICU's. Does anyone have any list of devices, tricks, training, CD's, etc. If I had my way the ventilators would come out the door with such devices attached (and in languages from Spanish to Vietnamese).

Thanks
 
Posts: 171 | Location: Palo Alto, CA USA | Registered: November 14, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of GaryMefford
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Jeff,
I think you are on to something. I haven't yet come across what you are talking about, but if I do I will post the info. I have found a surprising aid to communication with vent patients was if there were deaf care givers around who read lips. I recall trying for long periods to communicate with a vent patient in a unit that was staffed with a deaf nurse. She responded to alarms with no problems and understood everyone due in part to her hearing aids, but she understood best when she could see your mouth while you talked. I would call on her and she would go in and converse fluently with the patient I had been trying to get past the first word with. Perhaps a computer can be programmed to work off of lip reading. That nurse was great to have around, but was not always safe to take verbal orders from some of the docs with thicker accents. If not lip reading perhaps an e-letter board or phrase board?? What is it about an ET tube that eliminates one's ability to write legibly?
 
Posts: 147 | Location: Buckeye Az | Registered: January 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Here's something that might offer a new approach. From "Medical News Today":Speech Brought To Impaired And Disabled Individuals By Professor's Research With Hand-held Device or better yet B.A.Bar

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GaryMefford,
 
Posts: 147 | Location: Buckeye Az | Registered: January 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of JeffWhitnack
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That looks prett cool. The actual product can be viewed at.

B.A. Bar

It's a bit over $2,000. You can affix stickers all over and then the patient could point at them. I could see me sticking on my wife's and kid's heads and then pointing it at them as a voice blasts out various things. Guys with "Get me a beer please" atop the TV set, etc.

But for those patients intubated via ET tube, either emergently or not, this may be a bit of overkill. A combination "usual needs/requests" board along with some alphabet sound-out might suffice better.
 
Posts: 171 | Location: Palo Alto, CA USA | Registered: November 14, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Love the "Get me a beer" idea. They have some other products that might work better:Go Talk 20+or Go Talk 9+
 
Posts: 147 | Location: Buckeye Az | Registered: January 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Jeff, I have developed a computer-based system for patient communication. It will work with intubated or trached patients, and will allow them to communicate with caregivers or family/visitors. The system is in the final stages of development - just some cosmetic changes need to be done. We can provide the software with or without hardware (lap top with or without touch screen). We have several future modifications planned but for now, it is a basic communication tool. The patient of course, must be alert enough to operate a computer mouse or touch screen. Future modifications will include "wand" technology. Let me know if you would like more information. I have two companies, PCMS and Genesis Medical Systems. PCMS is a healthcare consulting company and Genesis Medical Systems is developing the communication device, which is called "Verbal Eyes" (verbalize).
 
Posts: 6 | Registered: July 14, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Yes I would be very interested. Email me at whitnack@pacbell.net

Thanks a ton
 
Posts: 171 | Location: Palo Alto, CA USA | Registered: November 14, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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