The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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The characteristics and outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may have changed with time. Some studies have reported that mortality is more commonly related to the development of sepsis/multiple organ failure (MOF), and others that it is related to the severity of acute respiratory failure (ARF). The present study evaluates the relative importance of the two phenomena in a large series of patients. ⋯ In addition, mortality was higher in septic than in nonseptic patients, and lower in trauma and surgical than in medical patients. We conclude that sepsis/multiple organ failure is still the most common cause of death in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Improvements in outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome may depend more on treatment of sepsis and multiple organ failure than on oxygenation measures.
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In subjects with normal lung mechanics, inspiratory muscle strength can be reliably and easily assessed by the sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP), which is the pressure measured in an occluded nostril during a maximal sniff performed through the contralateral nostril. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the SNIP in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where pressure transmission from alveoli to upper airways is likely to be dampened. Twenty eight patients with COPD were studied (mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) = 36% of predicted). ⋯ A false diagnosis of weakness was made in eight patients when MIP was considered alone, in four when SNIP was considered alone, and in only three patients when MIP and SNIP were combined. We conclude that both the sniff nasal inspiratory pressure and the maximal inspiratory pressure moderately underestimate sniff oesophageal pressure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although suboptimal in this condition, the sniff nasal inspiratory pressure appears useful to complement the maximal inspiratory pressure for assessing inspiratory muscle strength in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Case Reports
Propylthiouracil-induced alveolar haemorrhage associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody.
Propylthiouracil (PTU) is known to cause vasculitis as a rare complication. We report the case of a patient who developed alveolar haemorrhage and haematuria whilst treated with PTU. ⋯ All symptoms resolved completely after discontinuation of PTU. Alveolar haemorrhage or pulmonary-renal syndrome associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody with myeloperoxidase specificity may be a new complication of propylthiouracil therapy.