Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
-
Comparative Study
Effect of continuous positive airway pressure therapy on infectious complications in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a well-established, widely used and effective treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Unfortunately, side effects are frequent during CPAP treatment. ⋯ Our results suggest that patients using CPAP therapy either with or without heated humidity seem to be at an increased risk of upper airway infections compared to conservatively treated patients.
-
Increased interleukin-5 (IL-5) levels have been reported in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP); however, it still remains to be determined whether IL-5 is responsible for the eosinophil accumulation in the lung. ⋯ These findings suggest that locally produced IL-5 plays an important role in eosinophil accumulation of AEP.
-
The long-term daily use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) to treat chronic respiratory failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients is not widely recommended, partly because of a lack of clear clinical results and partly because the physiological mechanisms by which the daily application of NIMV would be helpful in these patients have not yet been clarified. ⋯ These results suggest that in a remarkable and identifyable proportion of patients with stable hypercapnic COPD, nocturnal NIMV may decrease resting PaCO(2), reraising the role of chronically supporting the respiratory pump.
-
Major hemoptysis is a potentially life-threatening complication of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) along with treatment of a CF pulmonary exacerbation has become the most widely used therapeutic approach for major hemoptysis in CF. ⋯ Recurrence of the hemoptysis occurred after attempts had been made to withdraw the tranexamic acid. Tranexamic acid was resumed with resolution of the hemoptysis, and the therapy has been used continuously for 13 months without any complications.
-
Limited information exists regarding the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the absence of lung and heart comorbidity. ⋯ A proportion (20.7%) of OSA patients without any other lung or heart disease and characterized by older age, greater obesity and lower daytime oxygenation develop mild pulmonary hypertension which has been partially or completely reversed after 6-month CPAP treatment. In conclusion, OSA alone constitutes an independent risk factor for the development of pulmonary hypertension.