Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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Observational Study
Lung Ultrasound in COVID-19 Pneumonia: Correlations with Chest CT on Hospital admission.
Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an accurate, safe, and cheap tool assisting in the diagnosis of several acute respiratory diseases. The diagnostic value of LUS in the workup of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in the hospital setting is still uncertain. ⋯ When integrated with clinical data, LUS could represent a valid diagnostic aid in patients with suspect COVID-19 pneumonia, which reflects CT findings.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
SARS-CoV-2 Detection on Bronchoalveolar Lavage: An Italian Multicenter experience.
Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) during the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) pandemic should be reserved to a limited number of clinical indications. The yield of BAL for the diagnosis of suspected or confirmed pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 infection is still unknown. ⋯ In our centers, the rate of detection of SARS-CoV-2 on BAL in patients with suspected infection was 37.2%. The agreement of BAL with nasopharyngeal swabs was high; CT alterations could predict the pretest probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but suspicion of viral infection should be always considered.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of Breathing Oxygen-Enriched Air on Exercise Performance in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Trial.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience dyspnea and hypoxemia during exercise. ⋯ In COPD patients without resting hypoxemia, breathing oxygen-enriched air improves exercise performance. This relates to a higher arterial oxygen saturation promoting oxygen availability to muscle and cerebral tissue and an enhanced ventilatory efficiency. COPD patients may benefit from oxygen therapy during exercise training.
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These recommendations for physicians who perform bronchoscopy will help to protect those patients (un)-affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic, minimize the risk of transmission, and maintain clinical care for all patients.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. ⋯ In our survey some major topics, such as the role of non-invasive respiratory support and drug treatments, show disagreement between experts, likely reflecting the absence of high-quality evidence studies. Considering the significant respiratory sequelae reported following COVID-19, proper respiratory and physical therapy programs should be promptly made available.