• Bruce K Rubin, Rajiv Dhand, Gregg L Ruppel, Richard D Branson, and Dean R Hess.
• Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
• Resp Care. 2011 Apr 1; 56 (4): 488-502.

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature related to asthma, COPD, pulmonary function testing, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Topics covered related to asthma include genetics and epigenetics; exposures; viruses; diet, obesity and exercise; exhaled nitric oxide; and drug therapy (β agonists, macrolides, tiotropium and monteleukast). Topics covered related to COPD include childhood disadvantage factors and COPD; vitamin D deficiency and COPD; β-blockers and COPD; corticosteroid therapy during COPD exacerbations; oxygen administration during pre-hospital transport of patients with COPD exacerbation; and prognosis of patients admitted to the hospital for COPD exacerbation. Topics related to pulmonary function testing include methods and techniques; predicted values; natural history, pulmonary function in health and disease; and the COPD controversy. Finally, the paper includes the following topics related to ventilator-associated pneumonia: the tube, the intubation route, and the cuff; mechanical ventilation; the bundle; and cost. These topics were chosen and reviewed in a manner that is most likely to have interest to the readers of Respiratory Care.

17 keywords...

hide…