Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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In patients who are weaned with a tracheostomy tube (TT), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is frequently used. Dedicated CPAP systems or ventilators with bulky tubing are usually applied. However, CPAP can also be effective without a ventilator by the disposable Boussignac CPAP (BCPAP) system that is normally used with face masks. ⋯ BCPAP is a feasible and safe method for weaning tracheostomy patients.
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Clinical Trial
Impact of interventional bronchoscopy on quality of life in malignant airway obstruction.
Interventional bronchoscopic procedures can re-establish airway patency in the majority of individuals suffering from endobronchial obstruction. However, literature provides limited data on the impact of these procedures on the individual's quality of life (QoL). ⋯ Endoscopic procedures can effectively reduce dyspnea associated with malignant central airway obstruction, but this may not always translate into improvements in overall QoL. Administration of QoL questionnaires is feasible, and may help identify domains contributing to patient's decline, and thereby improve overall patient care.
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Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) is known to reduce hypoventilation and improves respiratory and peripheral muscle endurance in patients with chronic respiratory failure (CRF) due to thoracic restriction. ⋯ NIV improved endurance only in the non-COPD group. This and the reduction in CO(2) are achieved by lowering energetic requirements. COPD patients though decreased their resting CO(2) by increased minute ventilation.
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The field of computer-assisted mapping of lung sounds is constantly evolving and several devices have been developed in this field. ⋯ The VRI device may provide a new perspective in acoustic imaging and quantification of breath sounds by adding aspects of time analysis and quantification of distribution to existing methods. Further studies will be required in order to establish reliability of repeated recordings and to validate the sensitivity of the system in detecting various lung pathologies.