BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Dec 2017
Estimating prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Southern Cone of Latin America: how different spirometric criteria may affect disease burden and health policies.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. The study aimed to determine and compare the prevalence of COPD in the general population aged 45-74 years old according to fixed ratio and lower limit of normal (LLN) thresholds in four cities in the Southern Cone of Latin America. ⋯ First, COPD and its risk factors are highly prevalent in the general population of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Second, the prevalence of COPD by LLN criterion was significantly lower with lesser degrees of severity compared to fixed ratio of FEV1/FVC. Implementing LLN criterion instead of fixed ratio of FEV1/FVC may reduce the risk of over-diagnosis of COPD, although further prognostic studies of COPD adverse outcomes should be conducted using both definitions. Third, these data suggest that national efforts on the prevention, treatment, and control of COPD should be a public health priority in the Southern Cone of Latin America.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Dec 2017
The role of sleepiness on arterial stiffness improvement after CPAP therapy in males with obstructive sleep apnea: a prospective cohort study.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. This study aim to assess differences in changes in arterial stiffness of two groups of patients, defined as having daytime sleepiness or not, after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. ⋯ Patients with daytime sleepiness had a more severe OSA and presented a greater arterial stiffness improvement after CPAP therapy, independently from age and BP. Besides sleepiness, cf-PWV reduction after CPAP therapy was mainly associated to CV risk factors, and less to sleep study parameters.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Dec 2017
The impacts of baseline ventilator parameters on hospital mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome treated with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a retrospective cohort study.
Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is a valuable life support in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in adult patients. However, the success of VV-ECMO is known to be influenced by the baseline settings of mechanical ventilation (MV) before its institution. This study was aimed at identifying the baseline ventilator parameters which were independently associated with hospital mortality in non-trauma patients receiving VV-ECMO for severe ARDS. ⋯ Since the duration of MV before ECMO institution was strongly correlated to the outcome of adult respiratory ECMO, medical centers are suggested to find a suitable prognosticating tool to determine the starting point of respiratory ECMO among their candidates with different duration of MV.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Dec 2017
Effects of treatment changes on asthma phenotype prevalence and airway neutrophil function.
Asthma inflammatory phenotypes are often defined by relative cell counts of airway eosinophils/neutrophils. However, the importance of neutrophilia remains unclear, as does the effect of ICS treatment on asthma phenotypes and airway neutrophil function. The purpose of this study was to assess asthma phenotype prevalence/characteristics in a community setting, and, in a nested preliminary study, determine how treatment changes affect phenotype stability and inflammation, with particular focus on airway neutrophils. ⋯ In this community based population, non-eosinophilic asthma was common, less severe than EA, and at baseline most asthmatics showed no evidence of inflammation. In the nested change in treatment study, treatment optimisation was associated with reduced sputum eosinophils, improved symptoms and lung function, and enhanced neutrophil function, but a significant reduction in EA could not be demonstrated.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Dec 2017
Multicenter StudyAn implantable pump Lenus pro® in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension with intravenous treprostinil.
Subcutaneous treprostinil is a prostacyclin analogue used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Due to local pain it can cause a deterioration of heart related quality of life (HRQoL) or even abandonment of treatment. The aim of this paper was to assess the feasibility of treatment with intravenous treprostinil administered by means of the Lenus Pro® implantable pump. ⋯ In patients with PAH who do not tolerate subcutaneous infusion of treprostinil, the use of the Lenus Pro® implantable pump results in significant subjective improvement of vitality and physical aspect of the HRQoL with acceptable safety profile.