European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jun 2005
Early and late failure of noninvasive ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation.
Despite recent encouraging results, the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the management of acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), complicated by acute respiratory failure (ARF), is not always successful. Failure of NIV may require an immediate intubation after a few hours (usually 1-3) of ventilation ('early failure') or may result in clinical deterioration (one or more days later) after an initial improvement of blood gas tension and general conditions ('late failure'). ⋯ Our study confirms that NIV may be useful to avoid intubation in approximately 80% of patients with COPD complicated by moderate-severe hypercapnic respiratory failure.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jun 2005
WNK4 regulates airway Na+ transport: study of familial hyperkalaemia and hypertension.
WNK [With No K (lysine)] kinases are essential for regulation of blood pressure and potassium homeostasis. WNK4 expression was recently found not only in the distal nephron but also in chloride-transporting epithelia. To establish a physiological role for this distribution we studied patients with familial hyperkalaemia and hypertension (FHH), [pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHAII)], which is caused by mutations in WNK4. ⋯ Mutant WNK4 increases Na+ transport in airways, and therefore it is regulated by wild-type WNK4. This may be caused by a regulation of ENaC or a K+ channel.