Respiratory medicine
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Respiratory medicine · Feb 2013
Multicenter StudyDaytime PaO2 in OSAS, COPD and the combination of the two (overlap syndrome).
OSAS and COPD are often associated with day-time hypoxemia. Overlap Syndrome (OS), the association between both diseases, increases the risk of day-time hypoxemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms which could justify the low oxygen level and the effect of CPAP. ⋯ Our data suggest that day-time hypoxemia in OSA patients is largely determined by the increase of body weight and severity of nocturnal hypoxia. However, CPAP therapy has been shown to improve daytime PaO(2) values both in OSAS and in OS.
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Respiratory medicine · Feb 2013
Hypoxaemia in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension during simulated air travel.
Recent air travel recommendations suggest patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PCPH) in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class 3 and 4 should have in-flight oxygen without the need for pre-flight testing. However it remains unclear as to how best to determine patients fitness to fly. ⋯ Hypoxaemia induced by simulated air travel in patients with PCPH is similar to that seen in published studies of patients with other chronic respiratory diseases. HCT failed to predict correctly who had developed symptoms during an aircraft flight in a significant minority of the study subjects. Similarly guidelines based on functional class result in a major increase in the proportion of patients being advised to use oxygen, many of whom had been asymptomatic on previous flights without it. More work is required to improve prediction of need for in-flight oxygen in patients with PCPH.
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Respiratory medicine · Feb 2013
FENO measurement and sputum analysis for diagnosing asthma in clinical practice.
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) measurement in pneumologists routine diagnostic work-up; and to determine the impact of the inflammatory pattern on diagnostic accuracy. ⋯ FENO measurement can be useful as an additional diagnostic tool in pneumologists' practice. The diagnostic value of FENO could be improved when inflammatory patterns are taken into account.
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Respiratory medicine · Feb 2013
Prevalence and clinical significance of circulating autoantibodies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
The clinical significance of circulating autoantibodies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and clinical significance of circulating autoantibodies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. ⋯ The frequency of circulating autoantibodies in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is no different compared to healthy controls, but may be associated with longer survival.