Effectiveness of the kinetic treatment table for preventing and treating pulmonary complications in severely head-injured patients

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Abstract
The efficacy of using the Kinetic Treatment Table (KTT) to prevent or reduce pulmonary complications in severely head-injured patients is unclear. This study is a prospective, randomized trial using the KTT vs. conventional bed care in severely head-injured patients. Outcome measures were hospital length of stay (LOS), mortality, CNS morbidity at hospital discharge, and rate of improvement of pulmonary status as gauged by chest radiograph, arterial/alveolar Po2 ratio, patient temperature, WBC count, suctioning frequency, sputum volume, and days on ventilator. The KTT group (n = 23) and conventional bed care group (n = 26) were well matched for age, sex, severity of injury, and pulmonary status. There was no significant difference in mortality, CNS morbidity, LOS in ICU or hospital, or rate of pulmonary improvement between the groups. The efficacy of the KTT in reducing pulmonary complications in head-injured patients remains unclear.