Respirology : official journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Effects of anti-emetic drug (tropisetron) on quality of life during chemotherapy: use of a diary-type questionnaire and application of summary measures for assessment in a randomized, multicentre study. Joint Research Group for Tropisetron Double-Blind Comparative Study.
The role of tropisetron as an anti-emetic drug in the prevention of delayed nausea and vomiting remains unclear. Therefore, effectiveness of tropisetron in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy was evaluated by application of summary measures using a quality of life (QOL) questionnaire. The diary-type QOL self-rating questionnaire was constituted by seven scales. ⋯ All scales, except social wellbeing changed immediately in both groups and reached a nadir on days 2-3, after that returning to the control levels during 2 weeks after cisplatin treatment. Group T was significantly better than group P in physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, functional wellbeing and global QOL scores summarized by area under the curve and Difmax (maximum differences of QOL scales' score from the best score throughout the entire period). These results indicate that continuous administration of tropisetron could contribute to preventing patient QOL influenced by cisplatin treatment, and the combined use of summary measures may be useful for the evaluation of QOL in cancer clinical trial.
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The management of pleural sepsis involves early diagnosis, administration of appropriate antibiotics, recognition of poor prognostic features and timely intervention to drain the infected pleural space. Important recent advances in the management of pleural sepsis include better imaging techniques, the use of flexible image-guided drainage catheters, adjunctive intrapleural thrombolytic therapy and the introduction of interventional thoracoscopy. These advances have been augmented, in the past year, by results from prospective controlled studies comparing different therapeutic options. This review describes an evidence-based approach to the management of pleural sepsis which incorporates recent therapeutic advances.
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Mantoux purified protein derivative (PPD) skin testing was performed in schoolchildren who were grouped according to positive (Group I, n = 205) and negative (Group II, n = 79) exposure to recent acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) family contact. A prospective case-control study was undertaken to evaluate whether repeat bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, nutritional state, presence/absence of BCG scar, and degree of AFB positivity of sputum of adult TB cases affect PPD skin reactivity in these two groups. Group I with TB contacts had larger induration (13.00 +/- 11.29 mm) than the Group II control group of 4.52 +/- 6.20; P = 0.000. ⋯ The degree of AFB positivity of sputum of TB adult cases (1+ to 4+ and cavitary TB) has no effect on PPD size (P = 0.766). Close contact with individuals with active TB (AFB smear positive) is a very important factor for PPD skin conversion. Repeat BCG vaccination, malnutrition, and BCG with scars present difficulties in making a diagnosis of TB infection but did not affect PPD reactivity and did highlight the need for thorough clinical evaluation.
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Late acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with a mortality of more than 80%. Recent reports in adults have shown improved survival in late ARDS treated with prolonged course of steroids, however little data are available in children concerning its safety and efficacy. We report the successful treatment of a child dying from refractory late ARDS using a prolonged course of high-dose methylprednisolone instituted after 12 days of advanced mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Treatment was complicated by a fungal urinary tract infection that was easily controlled. There were no major metabolic side effects. Steroid therapy can be considered in the treatment of children with refractory late ARDS but larger prospective studies are needed to define indications, timing, dosing and safety of this mode of treatment in children.