International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Excessive visceral fat accumulation in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Previous studies have suggested links between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, and abdominal obesity. Although abdominal visceral fat is thought to be associated with cardiovascular risk factors, the degree of visceral fat accumulation in patients with COPD has not been directly studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the abdominal visceral fat accumulation and the association between visceral fat and the severity and changes in emphysema in COPD patients. ⋯ COPD patients have excessive visceral fat, which is retained in patients with more advanced stages of COPD or severe emphysema despite the absence of obesity.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Long-term survival in elderly patients with a do-not-intubate order treated with noninvasive mechanical ventilation.
Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) is an effective tool in treating patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF), since it reduces both the need for endotracheal intubation and the mortality in comparison with nonventilated patients. A particular issue is represented by the outcome of NIMV in patients referred to the emergency department for ARF and with a do-not-intubate (DNI) status because of advanced age or excessively critical conditions. This study evaluated long-term survival in a group of elderly patients with acute hypercapnic ARF who had a DNI order and who were successfully treated by NIMV. ⋯ These results show that elderly patients with ARF successfully treated by NIMV following a DNI order have a satisfactory long-term survival.