Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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Following strenuous exercise, in vivo diaphragmatic strength has been reported to decrease. This decrease has been suggested to result from an increase in metabolic by-products of intense exercise. ⋯ This study suggests that physiological NH(3) concentrations do not adversely affect in vitro diaphragmatic contractility, fatigue, or recovery. These data are not consistent with diaphragmatic fatigue associated with exercise induced by arterial concentrations of NH(3) seen in humans, although further testing in situ or in vivo is needed.
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A case of a 30-year-old woman with a double-barrelled aorta misdiagnosed as asthma is presented. The patient was significantly improved after surgical treatment but a degree of airway symptoms persisted. ⋯ The paediatric experience with managing tracheomalacia is briefly reviewed and recommendations for the treatment of the rare adult cases are made. Our report emphasises the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of aortic arch abnormalities.
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In clinical practice, patients have different inspiratory behaviors during noninvasive pressure support ventilation (PSV): some breathe quietly, others actively help PSV by an additional effort, and others even resist the inspiratory pressure of PSV. ⋯ Active inspiratory effort increases ventilation during PSV at the expense of an increased breathing work and PEEP(i). Resisted inspiration inversely decreases inspiratory work and ventilation with no air trapping. These differences between inspiratory behaviors could affect the expected beneficial effects of PSV in acutely ill patients.
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Only few data concerning weaning by nasal positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) are available, and successful weaning by using NPPV in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe complications has not yet been described. Two cases with ARDS and both preexisting thoracopulmonary disease (infundibulum abnormality and suspected COPD) and associated complications (recurrent sepsis, acute renal failure, need for lobectomy, severe malnutrition) could not be weaned by invasive ventilatory techniques. Both patients presented with rapid shallow breathing and PaCO(2) values >60 mm Hg during intermittent trials of spontaneous breathing, although the primary pathology and associated complications had been resolved. ⋯ In one patient withdrawal from NPPV was possible after 2 months. In the other patient the duration of daily ventilation could be significantly reduced from 18 to 6 h/day after 9 months on NPPV. Therefore, patients with ARDS who cannot be weaned by invasive ventilatory strategies might be removed successfully from invasive mechanical ventilation by using NPPV even when there are preexisting thoracopulmonary disease and major complications during invasive ventilation.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can affect every organ. Involvement of the lungs in this disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Our results indicated that determining the ratio of lung/liver uptake of (99m)Tc-HMPAO may be a useful complementary method to assess pulmonary injury in SLE patients.