BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Nov 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyThe evaluation of a remote support program on quality of life and evolution of disease in COPD patients with frequent exacerbations.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients often present considerable individual medical burden in their symptoms, limitations, and well-being that complicate medical treatment. To improve their overall health status, while reducing the number of exacerbations, a multidisciplinary approach including different elements of care is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a remote support program on COPD patients at high risk of experiencing worsening of their disease and other health-related outcomes. ⋯ A remote support program for high-risk COPD patients results in an improvement of the patients' health status, particularly in those with initially poor health status, and it helps to reduce COPD exacerbations.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Nov 2016
Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: a retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis.
Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is increasingly acknowledged as a separate syndrome with distinct clinical, physiological and radiological characteristics. We sought to identify physiologic and radiographic indices that predict mortality in CPFE. ⋯ Patients with CPFE were predominantly male and smokers and exhibited distinct clinical, physiological and radiographic characteristics. They had a poorer prognosis than IPF. PAH and ≥ 5-point increase in CPI score per year were predictors of mortality in these patients. Future studies are needed to identify the optimal treatment approach to CPFE.