Respiratory care
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Early diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is necessary to reduce morbidity and improve survival of critically ill patients in the ICU. The purpose of the present study is to examine the performance of macroscopic bronchoscopic findings and cytological analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as an early diagnostic tool for VAP, either alone or in combination with clinically oriented scores (modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score [CPIS] or Johanson criteria). ⋯ The diagnostic performance of classical clinical scores for VAP did not improve after combination with BALF cytology. A new composite score proved to be more accurate than previous scores in early VAP diagnosis.
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Editorial Comment
Is Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction Exercise-Induced Asthma?