International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by poorly reversible airflow limitation. The pathological hallmarks of COPD are inflammation of the peripheral airways and destruction of lung parenchyma or emphysema. The functional consequences of these abnormalities are expiratory airflow limitation and dynamic hyperinflation, which then increase the elastic load of the respiratory system and decrease the performance of the respiratory muscles. ⋯ Two of the best methods to measure flow limitation are to superimpose a flow-volume loop of a tidal breath within a maximum flow-volume curve, or to use negative expiratory pressure technique. Likely this method is more accurate and can be used during spontaneous breathing. A definitive definition of dynamic hyperinflation is lacking in the literature, but serial measurements of inspiratory capacity during exercise will document the trend of end-expiratory lung volume and allow establishing relationships with other measurements such as dyspnea, respiratory pattern, exercise tolerance, and gas exchange.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2006
ReviewCurrent status of noninvasive ventilation in stable COPD patients.
Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been one of the major advances in respiratory medicine in the last decade. NIV improves quality of life, prolongs survival, and improves gas exchange and sleep quality in restrictive patients, but evidence available now does not allow us to establish clear criteria for prescribing NIV in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to COPD. ⋯ In fact, a selected group of patients may well benefit from domiciliary mechanical ventilation, and we need to be able to identify who they are. Moreover, NIV can be a new strategy to improve exercise tolerance in COPD patients.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2006
Review Comparative StudyEosinophilic airway inflammation in COPD.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common condition and a major cause of mortality. COPD is characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction. The physiological abnormalities observed in COPD are due to a combination of emphysema and obliteration of the small airways in association with airway inflammation. ⋯ Eosinophilic airway inflammation is resistant to inhaled corticosteroid therapy, but does respond to systemic corticosteroid therapy, and the degree of response is related to the intensity of the eosinophilic inflammation. In COPD, targeting treatment to normalize the sputum eosinophilia reduced the number of hospital admissions. Whether controlling eosinophilic inflammation in COPD patients with an airway eosinophilia will modify disease progression and possibly alter mortality is unknown, but warrants further investigation.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2006
ReviewIs there any treatment other than drugs to alleviate dyspnea in COPD patients?
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often limited in their activities by breathlessness. In these patients, exercise training may result in significant improvements in dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and health related quality of life (HRQoL). ⋯ Ventilatory assistance during exercise reduces dyspnea and work of breathing and enhances exercise tolerance, although further studies should be required to define their applicability in the routine pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Lung volume resection surgery and lung transplantation in selected patients may control symptoms and improve HRQoL.