Respiratory care
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of Training on Inspiratory Load Compensation in Weaned and Unweaned Mechanically Ventilated ICU Patients.
While inspiratory muscle weakness is common in prolonged mechanical ventilation, inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) can facilitate strengthening and ventilator weaning. However, the inspiratory load compensation (ILC) responses to threshold loads are not well characterized in patients. We retrospectively compared ILC responses according to the clinical outcomes of IMST (ie, maximum inspiratory pressure [PImax], weaning outcome), in difficult-to-wean ICU patients. ⋯ Flow ILC at a threshold load of 10 cm H2O in ventilated, tracheostomized subjects positively correlated with PImax. Although PImax improved in both groups, the flow and volume ILC responses of the weaned subjects were more robust, both before and after IMST. The results suggest that ILC response is different in weaned and unweaned subjects, reflecting dynamic inspiratory muscular efforts that could be influential in weaning.
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Elderly patients may be at greater risk for misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment as a consequence of pulmonary function test underutilization and tests being conducted with low quality expectations. This study sought to determine if elderly patients are able to achieve both spirometry and diffusion capacity (DLCO) quality scores comparable to a younger adult population. ⋯ Elderly patients referred to a hospital-based pulmonary function test lab can be expected to achieve spirometry and DLCO quality scores comparable to younger adult patients.
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Peripheral muscle dysfunction is a common finding in patients with COPD; however, the structural adaptation and functional impairment of the upper and lower limb muscles do not seem to be homogenous. We compared muscle fatigue and recovery time between 2 representative muscles: the middle deltoid and the quadriceps femoris. ⋯ Subjects with COPD had a higher fatigability of a representative upper limb muscle (middle deltoid) than a lower limb muscle (quadriceps femoris).
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Clinical Trial
IMPACT OF BRONCHODILATOR RESPONSIVENESS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND EXERCISE CAPACITY IN PATIENTS WITH COPD.
Bronchial variability in COPD patients may be a phenotypic feature associated with clinical characteristics and differential treatment response. We analyzed whether symptoms, quality of life, and exercise capacity varied in COPD patients as a function of bronchodilator test results, and compared responses to an exercise program. ⋯ Compared to COPD subjects with negative reversibility, those with positive reversibility walked for shorter distances, and had shorter endurance times and worse quality of life, but the improvements after exercise training were similar.
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Because noninvasive ventilation (NIV) delivers medical gas at high flow, inadequate humidification may cause oral dryness and patient discomfort. Heated humidification can be used during NIV, but little has been reported about the effects on the hygrometric conditions inside an oronasal mask and oral dryness during 24 hours on NIV. ⋯ AH varied among the subjects, and some complained of oral dryness even with heated humidifier. Oral breathing decreased oral moistness and worsened the feeling of dryness.