Respiratory care
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Comparative Study
Factors Affecting CPAP Acceptance in Elderly Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Taiwan.
The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases with age. Treatment often includes CPAP. CPAP adherence is correlated with disease severity and symptoms. We hypothesized that CPAP acceptance rates in elderly patients with OSA would be lower than in younger patients with OSA, and examined factors associated with CPAP acceptance. ⋯ CPAP acceptance is low in elderly patients in Taiwan. CPAP acceptance, instead of CPAP adherence, is the critical issue with elderly patients with OSA.
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Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is beneficial for patients with COPD, with improvement in exercise capacity and health-related quality of life. Despite these overall benefits, the responses to PR vary significantly among different individuals. It is not clear if PR is beneficial for patients with COPD and normal exercise capacity. We aimed to investigate the effects of PR in patients with normal exercise capacity on health-related quality of life and exercise capacity. ⋯ Exercise training can result in significant improvement in health-related quality of life, exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength, and exertional dyspnea in subjects with COPD and normal exercise capacity. Exercise training is still indicated for patients with normal exercise capacity.
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Observational Study
Predictors and Outcome of Early-Onset Pneumonia After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.
Early-onset pneumonia (EOP) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is frequently observed. Causative factors are loss of airway protection during cardiac arrest, pulmonary contusion, and emergency airway management. We assessed the incidence, risk factors, and clinical course of EOP, and evaluated the impact of an early exchange of the prehospitally inserted endotracheal tube (ETT). ⋯ The rate of EOP was not significantly influenced by the exchange of the preclinically inserted ETT, but was associated with longer need for mechanical ventilation and ICU stay.
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Because environmental insults and genetic factors account for the variance in the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in very low birth weight (VLBW, birth weight < 1,500 g) preterm infants, the search for BPD biomarkers has begun to focus on the regulators of non-coding RNA such as microRNAs (miRNAs). Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential miRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of BPD in VLBW preterm infants. ⋯ This is the first study to identify blood-based miRNAs associated with BPD. The findings provide information regarding the roles of these biomarkers in the development of BPD in VLBW preterm infants.
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Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the highest level of evidence, they are also subject to bias, due to a lack of adequately reported randomization, and therefore the reporting should be as explicit as possible for readers to determine the significance of the contents. We evaluated the methodological quality of RCTs in respiratory research in high ranking clinical journals, published in 2010. ⋯ The methodological quality of RCTs in respiratory research needs improvement. Stricter enforcement of the CONSORT statement should enhance the quality of RCTs.