Canadian respiratory journal : journal of the Canadian Thoracic Society
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Review Comparative Study
Leukotriene receptor antagonists and related compounds.
Leukotrienes (LTs), lipid mediators of inflammation, have proved to be important biochemicals involved in the symptoms and physiological changes of asthma. In the past year and a half, the development of three new drugs that modulate the LT pathway has been completed. The first subclass of these drugs, leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) (zafirlukast and montelukast), blocks the interaction of the cysteinyl form of the LTs with the cell type bearing the receptor. ⋯ Comparison studies with low doses of inhaled corticosteroids suggest that LT modulators may have similar effects on symptom scores and beta-agonist use, but have lesser effects on FEV1. Finally, emerging data suggest that these drugs are beneficial in decreasing the dose of inhaled corticosteroids necessary to control more moderate to severe asthma. While long term studies will be helpful in determining the 'disease modifying' effects of these drugs, data suggest that these drugs are useful in the treatment of a broad range of asthmatic patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Salmeterol and fluticasone propionate (50/250 microg) administered via combination Diskus inhaler: as effective as when given via separate Diskus inhalers.
To compare the efficacy and safety of a new combination Diskus inhaler containing both salmeterol 50 mg and fluticasone propionate 250 mg (Seretide) with the two drugs delivered via separate Diskus inhalers. ⋯ This study shows that the combination of salmeterol and fluticasone propionate in a single inhaler is as efficacious in achieving asthma control and as well tolerated over a 28-week period as the two drugs administered individually.
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Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was first described about 30 years ago. Modern definitions and statements have recently been proposed to describe ARDS accurately, but none is perfect. Diffuse alveolar damage is the basic pathological pattern most commonly observed in ARDS, and the term includes permeability edema. ⋯ Nitric oxide may have a place in the treatment of one-third of patients. Novel approaches, such as surfactant replacement and liquid ventilation, may further improve supportive therapy. Innovative interventions may be on the horizon in treatments that help to resolve or modulate common pathways of ARDS, such as inflammation (eg, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) or epithelial repair (eg, keratinocyte growth factor).
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Asthma continues to pose a significant medical problem in terms of both morbidity and mortality. A number of patients with a severe exacerbation of asthma fail medical therapy and require urgent intubation and mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Pressure support ventilation reduces the risk of barotrauma and lowers the work of breathing in these patients. Adjuvant therapy with inhaled anesthetics and bronchoalveolar lavage may also be indicated in patients requiring high pressures to achieve adequate ventilation.
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To determine predictors of longitudinal changes in pulmonary function in swine confinement workers. ⋯ These results suggest that shift change is an important predictor of longitudinal changes in lung function in swine confinement workers and that endotoxin exposures may mediate annual decline in FEV1 in these workers.