Revue des maladies respiratoires
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Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) are more and more used for intravenous antibiotic infusions in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in the Grenoble area (France). The aim of this study was to assess the use of this technique in this indication. ⋯ PICC is an alternative to CP for intravenous antibiotherapy in CF patients, providing better safety and comfort. PICC use should be promoted in this indication.
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Osteoarticular tuberculosis was frequent throughout the world a decade ago but antituberculous chemotherapy and prophylactic measures have clearly contributed to the reduction of its frequency. However, Pott's disease is frequently complicated by an abscess and some locations are exceptional on account of their gravity. We report a case of dorsal spondylodiscitis with a voluminous Pott's abscess compressing the mediastinal structures with a risk of perforating into the trachea.
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Breaking bad news is a complex and frequent clinical task for physicians working in oncology. It can have a negative impact on patients and their relatives who are often present during breaking bad news consultations. Many factors influence how the delivery of bad news will be experienced especially the communication skills used by physicians. ⋯ Communication skills and specific breaking bad news training programs are both necessary and effective. A recent study conducted in Belgium has shown their impact on the time allocated to each of the three phases of this process, on the communication skills used, on the inclusion of the relative in the consultation and on physicians' physiological arousal. These results underscore the importance of promoting intensive communication skills and breaking bad news training programs for health care professionals.
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Review Case Reports
[Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and dyspnea in patients with chronic respiratory diseases].
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the most comprehensive investigation for understanding the mechanisms responsible for dyspnea in patients with chronic respiratory disease. The two observations presented here illustrate how CPET can contribute to the management of patients with interstitial lung diseases. A 60-year-old woman had been followed for 20 years for non-progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis, untreated for many years. ⋯ A 76-year-old man was treated for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Before pulmonary rehabilitation, CPET was performed which revealed significant aortic valve stenosis, which had been to that point asymptomatic. In these two observations, CPET determined the presence of an associated disease, distinct from the interstitial lung disease.