Resp Care
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Prophylactic use of helmet CPAP after pulmonary lobectomy: a prospective randomized controlled study.
Patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy carry a high risk of respiratory complications after surgery. The postoperative prophylactic treatment with helmet CPAP may prevent postoperative acute respiratory failure and improve the P(aO(2))/F(IO(2)). ⋯ The prophylactic use of helmet CPAP improved the P(aO(2))/F(IO(2)), but the oxygenation benefit was not lasting. In our study, helmet CPAP was a secure and well tolerated method in subjects who underwent pulmonary lobectomy. It might be safely applied whenever necessary.
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Physical assessment of breathing is an important component of physical therapy evaluations. However, there are no standardized reference values of breathing movements available for use in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to determine the 3-dimensional distances of observational points on the thorax and abdomen during breathing in healthy subjects and to assess the effects of age, posture, and sex on breathing movements. ⋯ We found that the observed breathing movements were related to the effects of age, sex, and posture. These findings are in agreement with those reported in previous studies. The results may be helpful in assessing breathing movement by physical examination.
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Tobacco smoke has detrimental effects on the respiratory system. This study investigated the associations of active and passive smoking with asthma symptoms in Hong Kong adolescents. ⋯ Adolescents who are heavy smokers and having parents and a best friend who smoke are more likely than others to have asthma symptoms. Both active and passive smoking are related to asthma symptoms in adolescents.
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Expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) is a form of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilatory support that, in spite of not unloading respiratory muscles during inspiration, may reduce the inspiratory threshold load and attenuate expiratory dynamic airway compression, contributing to reduced expiratory air-flow limitation in patients with COPD. We sought to determine the effects of EPAP on operational lung volumes during exercise in COPD patients. ⋯ The application of EPAP reduced DH, as shown by lower operational lung volumes after submaximal exercise in COPD patients who previously manifested exercise DH.