The American review of respiratory disease
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Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. · Sep 1991
Evaluation of a new weaning index based on ventilatory endurance and the efficiency of gas exchange.
We hypothesized that the ventilatory capacity needed to wean from mechanical ventilation (mv) depends on two variables: ventilatory endurance and the efficiency of gas exchange. We also hypothesized that these variables could be assessed from data readily available at the bedside, including tidal volume (VT) on mv and during spontaneous breathing (sb), ventilator peak inspiratory pressure (Ppk), and patient negative inspiratory pressure (NIP). Ventilatory endurance was evaluated using a modified pressure-time index: PTI = TI/Ttot x Pbreath/NIP, where Pbreath = Ppk x VTsb/VTmv. ⋯ They had been mechanically ventilated more than 3 days and were considered by clinical criteria to be ready for weaning. Of 46 weaning trials, 19 were successful, 2 were partially successful, and 25 failed. PTI and VE40/VTsb were higher in patients who failed (p less than 0.05), but neither variable alone had sufficient sensitivity or specificity to predict the outcome of weaning trials accurately.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. · Sep 1991
Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure, lung volume, and inspiratory flow on interrupter resistance in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome.
Although it has been shown in normal subjects that airway resistance changes significantly with changes in lung volume and inspiratory flow, no studies have as yet examined these phenomena in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on airway resistance in ARDS also is unknown. ⋯ This procedure was carried out at four levels of PEEP (0, 5, 10, and 15 cm H2O). We found that (1) at constant inflation volume, Rint,rs did not change significantly with increasing flow; (2) at constant inflation flow, Rint,rs showed an initial decrease followed by a distinct rise with increasing lung volume; (3) on average, PEEP did not significantly change Rint,rs measured during baseline ventilation; and (4) this latter finding occurred because patients behaved differently with application of PEEP, depending on their degree of lung inflation: Rint,rs measured close to full inflation almost invariably exhibited a rise, but values obtained at lower volumes exhibited the characteristic decrease of Rint,rs with increasing inflation volume.
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Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. · Sep 1991
Effect of weight loss on upper airway collapsibility in obstructive sleep apnea.
Previous investigators have demonstrated in patients with obstructive sleep apnea that weight reduction results in a decrease in apnea severity. Although the mechanism for this decrease is not clear, we hypothesize that decreases in upper airway collapsibility account for decreases in apnea severity with weight loss. To determine whether weight loss causes decreases in collapsibility, we measured the upper airway critical pressure (Pcrit) before and after a 17.4 +/- 3.4% (mean +/- SD) reduction in body mass index in 13 patients with obstructive sleep apnea. ⋯ Moreover, decreases in Pcrit were associated with nearly complete elimination of apnea in each patient whose Pcrit fell below -4 cm H2O. In contrast, no significant change in DBR and a minimal reduction in Pcrit from 5.2 +/- 2.3 to 4.2 +/- 1.8 cm H2O (p = 0.031) was observed in the "usual care" group. We conclude that (1) weight loss is associated with decreases in upper airway collapsibility in obstructive sleep apnea, and that (2) the resolution of sleep apnea depends on the absolute level to which Pcrit falls.
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Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. · Aug 1991
Three-dimensional upper airway computed tomography in obstructive sleep apnea. A prospective study in patients treated by uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.
The success of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in treating obstructive sleep apnea varies considerably. Some of this variability may be accounted for by differences in the site of upper airway narrowing. To determine whether preoperative awake upper airway and soft tissue volumes predict the response to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, preoperative awake computed tomograms (CT) of the upper airway were performed on 60 consecutive patients with symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea. ⋯ Patients who had a good response had a smaller oropharyngeal cross-sectional area (p less than 0.01), a smaller upper airway volume (p less than 0.05), a smaller upper airway to tongue volume ratio (p less than 0.01), and a smaller oropharynx to soft palate volume ratio (p less than 0.05). Obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea have larger tongues and smaller upper airways relative to tongue and soft palate size. Patients with smaller upper airways, particularly relative to tongue and soft palate size, have a good response to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.
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Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. · Aug 1991
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAzathioprine combined with prednisone in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a prospective double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Twenty-seven newly diagnosed patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who were previously untreated for IPF were enrolled in a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to compare the therapeutic effect of combined prednisone/azathioprine (n = 14) with prednisone plus placebo (n = 13). Prednisone was started at 1.5 mg/kg/day (not to exceed 100 mg/day) for the first 2 wk followed by a biweekly taper to a maintenance dose of 20 mg/day. Azathioprine was administered at a daily dose of 3 mg/kg (not to exceed 200 mg/day). ⋯ A Cox model survival analysis shows a nonsignificant but potentially large survival advantage for azathioprine/prednisone (hazard ratio 0.48, with 95% confidence interval increasing from 0.17 to 1.38). When adjusted for age, the survival advantage of azathioprine/prednisone becomes marginally significant (hazard ratio 0.26, with 95% confidence interval increasing from 0.08 to 0.88; p = 0.02 by large sample approximation, p = 0.05 by randomization test). We conclude that combined prednisone and azathioprine is a safe and possibly effective regimen for the treatment of IPF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)