Respiratory medicine
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Respiratory medicine · Oct 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEffectiveness of omalizumab in patients with inadequately controlled severe persistent allergic asthma: an open-label study.
In a 1-year, randomized, open-label study in patients with moderate-to-severe allergic (immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated) asthma, adding omalizumab to best standard care (BSC) significantly improved efficacy outcomes compared with BSC alone (control). We assessed the efficacy of omalizumab in the subgroup of patients with inadequately controlled severe persistent allergic asthma despite high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) plus a long-acting beta(2)-agonist (LABA), which reflects the European Union (EU) label population. ⋯ Adding omalizumab to BSC is efficacious in patients with inadequately controlled severe persistent allergic asthma despite high-dose ICS plus a LABA (EU label population), with further efficacy observed in patients judged to have responded to therapy which may more accurately illustrate the actual benefit of omalizumab therapy in clinical practice. The naturalistic setting of this study confirms the benefits observed in double-blind randomized clinical trials.
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Respiratory medicine · Oct 2008
Comparative StudyThe course of persistent airflow limitation in subjects with and without asthma.
Most patients who develop persistent airflow limitation do so either as a manifestation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that is largely related to smoking or as a consequence of persistent asthma. We sought to compare the natural course of lung function associated with persistent airflow limitation in subjects with and without asthma from early to late adult life. ⋯ In subjects who have asthma onset before 25 years of age and persistent airflow limitation in adult life, the bulk of the FEV(1) deficit is already established before age 25 years.
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Respiratory medicine · Oct 2008
ReviewOutcome of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) ventilated in intensive care unit.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the commonest cause of interstitial lung disease. Till date there is no proven successful treatment. The prognosis is poor with a median survival of 3 years. ⋯ Available data showed that outcome of these patients is very poor and mechanical ventilation is mostly futile. Patients and their families should be informed about the prognosis, outcome and overall outlook before making decision about ventilation and organ support. Available outcome data should be used to develop institutional and professional guidelines to help in making these difficult decisions.
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In this retrospective study, we analyzed 17 patients presenting with pulmonary fibrosis and a positive ANCA testing. This group was compared with a control group of 12 patients with IPF and negative ANCA testing. Patients were 15 males and 2 females, with a mean age of 66 years. ⋯ The death was directly related to vasculitis in 3 patients. We conclude that patients with pulmonary fibrosis should be evaluated for the presence of ANCA. Patients with positive ANCA testing, particularly if anti-myeloperoxidase, should be carefully monitored to detect the occurrence of microscopic polyangiitis.
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Respiratory medicine · Oct 2008
Evaluation of disease-specific health-related quality of life in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a debilitating and life-threatening disease despite improvements in hemodynamics, exercise capacity and survival with recent therapeutic advances. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has, therefore, been proposed as an important outcome for evaluating care. Relatively little, however, is known regarding HRQOL or its determinants in PAH. The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire was recently adapted and validated for HRQOL measurement in PAH. We applied this pulmonary hypertension-specific version (MLHF-PH) to a larger population of PAH patients. ⋯ Severely impaired HRQOL is present in this population of patients with PAH evaluated with a disease-specific questionnaire. The availability of a pulmonary hypertension-specific HRQOL questionnaire may enable further targeted investigations of factors that might improve outcomes.