The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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Comparative Study
Evaluation of the user-friendliness of 11 home mechanical ventilators.
The home ventilator market has grown in size and complexity. The aim of this study was to determine if common home ventilators are user-friendly for trained intensive care unit (ICU) physicians. Eleven ventilator models were tested by 13 ICU physicians without practical experience in home mechanical ventilation. ⋯ The mean time for the most rapid of the physicians for all the tests was 58+/-53 s, compared with 15+/-9 s for the technician. In conclusion, trained intensive care unit physicians perform poorly when confronted with home mechanical ventilators without specific prior training. Therefore, it is hypothesised that the user-friendliness of home ventilators for other categories of users might be questionable.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Continuous positive airway pressure does not reduce blood pressure in nonsleepy hypertensive OSA patients.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Several randomised controlled trials have shown that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of OSA reduces blood pressure (BP). This randomised, sham-placebo controlled crossover trial assesses whether CPAP produces a similar clinically significant fall in BP in hypertensive OSA patients, but without hypersomnolence. ⋯ There was no overall significant difference in mean 24-h BP: the change in mean 24-h BP on therapeutic CPAP was -2.1 mmHg (sd 8.1), and -1.1 mmHg (sd 8.1) on subtherapeutic CPAP, with a difference of 0.7 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) +2.9- -4.4). There was a small significant fall in Epworth Sleepiness Score, therapeutic (-1.4) versus sham (-0.3), and difference -1.2 (95% CI -2.0- -0.4), but no change in objective sleepiness. In nonhypersomnolent hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, there is no significant fall in mean 24-h blood pressure with continuous positive airway pressure, in contrast to the fall seen in hypersomnolent patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
High-intensity inspiratory muscle training in COPD.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of an interval-based high-intensity inspiratory muscle training (H-IMT) programme on inspiratory muscle function, exercise capacity, dyspnoea and health-related quality of life (QoL) in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A double-blind randomised controlled trial was performed. Sixteen subjects (11 males, mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) 37.4+/-12.5%) underwent H-IMT performed at the highest tolerable inspiratory threshold load (increasing to 101% of baseline maximum inspiratory pressure). ⋯ H-IMT increased maximum inspiratory pressure by 29%, maximum threshold pressure by 56%, 6-min walk distance by 27 m, and improved dyspnoea and fatigue (CRDQ) by 1.4 and 0.9 points per item, respectively. These changes were significantly greater than any seen following S-IMT. In conclusion, high-intensity inspiratory muscle training improves inspiratory muscle function in subjects with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, yielding meaningful reductions in dyspnoea and fatigue.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Physiological effects of vibration in subjects with cystic fibrosis.
The physiological mechanisms by which vibration and other physiotherapy interventions may clear secretions in subjects with cystic fibrosis are unknown. The main aim of this study was to compare the expiratory flow rates and frequencies of airflow oscillation of vibration to those of Acapella(R), Flutter(R), positive expiratory pressure and percussion. Respiratory flow rates were measured during interventions, the order of which was randomised. ⋯ Theoretically, the higher peak expiratory flow rate of vibration compared to the other physiotherapy interventions may promote secretion clearance. In addition, the frequency of oscillation of vibration was within the range demonstrated to increase mucus transport. This study has provided some evidence for the physiological rationale for the use of vibration to aid secretion clearance.