Chest
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Multicenter Study
Variations and gaps in management of acute asthma in Ontario emergency departments.
Variation in hospitalization rates for acute asthma in Ontario may reflect gaps between evidence and current emergency department (ED) management. We investigated ED management of asthma and differences in practice patterns for pediatric (< 20 years old) and adult (> or = 20 years old) patients in Ontario EDs. ⋯ Knowledge translation initiatives are warranted to increase adherence with best practices in emergency management of asthma (such as objective assessment of airflow rates, use of systemic steroids, and referrals) in order to reduce variations in care and improve outcomes of severe acute asthma.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Helium-hyperoxia: a novel intervention to improve the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with COPD.
Helium-hyperoxia (HH) reduces dyspnea and increases exercise tolerance in patients with COPD. We investigated whether breathing HH would allow patients to perform a greater intensity of exercise and improve the benefits of a pulmonary rehabilitation program. ⋯ Breathing HH during pulmonary rehabilitation increases the intensity and duration of exercise training that can be performed and results in greater improvements in CLT for patients with COPD.