American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 1998
Effects of the prone position on respiratory mechanics and gas exchange during acute lung injury.
We studied 16 patients with acute lung injury receiving volume-controlled ventilation to assess the relationships between gas exchange and respiratory mechanics before, during, and after 2 h in the prone position. We measured the end-expiratory lung volume (EELV, helium dilution), the total respiratory system (Cst,rs), the lung (Cst,L) and the thoracoabdominal cage (Cst,w) compliances (end-inspiratory occlusion technique and esophageal balloon), the hemodynamics, and gas exchange. In the prone position, PaO2 increased from 103.2 +/- 23.8 to 129.3 +/- 32.9 mm Hg (p < 0.05) without significant changes of Cst,rs and EELV. ⋯ Consequently, the oxygenation changes in the prone position were predictable from baseline supine Cst,w (r = 0.80, p < 0.01). Returning to the supine position, Cst,rs increased compared with baseline (42.3 +/- 14.4 versus 38.4 +/- 13.7 ml/cm H2O; p < 0.01), mainly because of the lung component (57.5 +/- 25.1 versus 52.4 +/- 23.3 ml/cm H2O; p < 0.01). Thus, (1) baseline Cst,w and its changes may play a role in determining the oxygenation response in the prone position; (2) the prone position improves Cst,rs and Cst,L when the supine position is resumed.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 1998
DNase I acutely increases cystic fibrosis sputum elastase activity and its potential to induce lung hemorrhage in mice.
The potential of DNase I to increase cystic fibrosis sputum elastase activity and lung damage was evaluated. Sputum from CF patients induced little lung hemorrhage when instilled intranasally in C57BL/6 mice. However, sputum treated in vitro by the addition of 1 mg/ml bovine DNase I showed increased neutrophil elastase activity (7.97 +/- 1.56 versus 3.91 +/- 0.62 microM, p < 0.01) and induced marked lung hemorrhage in mice (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid hemoglobin = 192.8 +/- 40.7 versus 44.5 +/- 12.0 microg/ml, p < 0.01). ⋯ Elastase levels returned to pre-rhDNase therapy levels 24 h after aerosol treatment. Sputum collected 1 h after rhDNase on 4 separate days from two of six patients in which elastase levels were highest, induced lung hemorrhage when instilled intranasally in mice. We conclude that DNase I therapy of patients with cystic fibrosis can acutely increase the elastase activity of sputum and also its potential to induce hemorrhage in the murine lung.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialA randomized trial comparing peak expiratory flow and symptom self-management plans for patients with asthma attending a primary care clinic.
Great emphasis is placed on educating asthmatics to use action plans to achieve better control of symptoms. The use of peak flow meters (PFM) has been recommended as an important part of self-management plans. We studied 92 (47 F) adult patients with asthma in a primary care setting to compare the effectiveness of action plans using either peak flow monitoring or symptoms to guide self-management. ⋯ Adherence to the self-management plans was only 65% in the PFM group and 52% in the symptoms group. Outcomes for health care utilization were similar except for fewer patients making unscheduled doctor visits within the PFM group. Our findings show that education, regular follow-up, and an action plan are effective in improving asthma control and quality of life, but the routine use of PFM to guide interventions is not the only way to accomplish these objectives.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialImpact of invasive and noninvasive quantitative culture sampling on outcome of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a pilot study.
We performed an open, prospective, randomized clinical trial in 51 patients receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 72 h, in order to evaluate the impact of using either invasive (protected specimen brush [PSB] and bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] via fiberoptic bronchoscopy) or noninvasive (quantitative endotracheal aspirates [QEA]) diagnostic methods on the morbidity and mortality of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A patients (n = 24) underwent QEA, PSB, and BAL; Group B patients (n = 27) underwent only QEA cultures. Empiric antibiotic treatment was given according to the attending physician and was modified according to the results of cultures and sensitivity in Group A using PSB and BAL results and in Group B based upon QEA cultures. ⋯ There were no differences between Groups A and B with regard to ICU stay duration and total duration of mechanical ventilation. In this pilot study, the impact of bronchoscopy was to lead to more frequent antibiotic changes with no change in mortality. Further studies with larger population samples are warranted to confirm these findings.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA pilot clinical trial of oral sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl) in deltaF508-homozygous cystic fibrosis patients: partial restoration of nasal epithelial CFTR function.
Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl, 4PBA) is a new FDA approved drug for management of urea cycle disorders. We have previously presented data suggesting that 4PBA, at clinically achievable concentrations, induces CFTR channel function on the plasma membrane of deltaF508-expressing cystic fibrosis (CF) airway epithelial cells in vitro (Rubenstein, R. C., and P. ⋯ Subjects who had received 4PBA did not demonstrate significantly reduced sweat chloride concentrations or alterations in the amiloride-sensitive NPD. Side effects due to drug therapy were minimal and comparable in the two groups. These data are consistent with 4PBA therapy inducing CFTR function in the nasal epithelia of deltaF508-homozygous CF patients.