Archivos de bronconeumología
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Arch. Bronconeumol. · Jun 2004
Case Reports[Acute confusional syndrome associated with obstructive sleep apnea aggravated by acidosis secondary to oral acetazolamide treatment].
Acute confusional syndrome, or delirium, is a transitory mental state characterized by the fluctuating alteration of awareness and attention levels. We present the case of a patient with acute confusional syndrome associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) aggravated by metabolic acidosis induced by oral acetazolamide treatment. A 70-year-old man with no history of neurological disease was referred with a clinical picture consistent with acute confusional syndrome presenting between midnight and dawn. ⋯ Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure was initiated at 9 cm H2O, after a titration polysomnographic study. The patient continued to improve. OSAS, for which very effective treatment is available, should be included among diseases that may trigger acute confusional syndrome.
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Arch. Bronconeumol. · Apr 2004
[Spirometry is a good method for detecting and monitoring chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in high-risk smokers in primary health care].
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease, the early diagnosis of which allows effective management and treatment. The aim of the present study is to show the effectiveness of a screening and monitoring plan for COPD in high-risk patients in primary health care. ⋯ Many smokers managed to give up smoking after learning their spirometric results. FEV1 can identify smokers at greatest risk of developing COPD. Spirometric screening and monitoring of smokers at high risk in primary health care can identify those most susceptible to developing COPD while the disease is in an early phase. Therefore the most appropriate strategy can be adopted for each patient.
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Arch. Bronconeumol. · Feb 2004
Comparative Study[Exercise limitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the altitude of Bogota (2640 m). Breathing pattern and arterial gases at rest and peak exercise].
To describe the response to exercise of normal subjects and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Bogota, Colombia (altitude: 2640 m; atmospheric pressure: 560 mm Hg) and compare it with data published on COPD patients at sea level. Healthy people increase their minute ventilation to attenuate hypoxemia (PaCO2: 30 mm Hg; PaO2: 63 mm Hg). ⋯ Patients with COPD living in Bogota were shown to have lower tolerance to exercise evidenced by ventilatory limitation and severe hypoxemia. Increased minute ventilation at rest, greater reduction in inspiratory capacity, and severity of hypoxemia during exercise were the main differences between COPD in Bogota and at sea level.
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Arch. Bronconeumol. · Feb 2004
[Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis. Immediate results and postoperative quality of life].
Primary palmar hyperhidrosis is a socially and occupationally debilitating disorder characterized by excessive sweating. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results, complications, and degree of satisfaction among patients who underwent video-assisted bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy of the second and third ganglia (T2-T3) to treat primary palmar hyperhidrosis at the Department of General and Thoracic Surgery of the Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena in Seville, Spain. ⋯ Video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy for the treatment of primary palmar hyperhidrosis is effective, with low rates of morbidity and no mortality. Despite the appearance of postoperative changes such as compensatory sweating, patient satisfaction with the procedure is high and their quality of life improves.