Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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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.
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The role of the standard bronchoscope as a method of diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions is limited. ⋯ Ultrathin bronchoscopy appears to be a useful adjunct to standard bronchoscopy by providing an accurate pathway to the lesion in question. However, further studies with larger patient groups are warranted.