BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
ReviewPrevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in Asian adults: a systematic review of the literature.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disease, affecting approximately 2% of women and 4% of men residing in Western communities. No systematically reviewed data are available about the prevalence of this disease in Asia, the most heavily populated continent. ⋯ This systematic review highlights the lack of data regarding the prevalence of OSA in Asians. Only a few studies provide an approximate estimate of the OSA burden in some Asian communities.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Multicenter StudyIncreased incidence of autoimmune markers in patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema.
Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is an umbrella term encompassing upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe pulmonary fibrosis with pathogenesis elusive. The aim of our study was to investigate the incidence of autoimmune markers in patients with CPFE. ⋯ A significant proportion of patients with CPFE may present with underlying auto-immune disorders that may reside insidiously and be associated with favorable prognosis. Early identification of these patients using a panel of auto-antibodies may lead to more targeted and effective therapeutic applications.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Dyspnea affective response: comparing COPD patients with healthy volunteers and laboratory model with activities of daily living.
Laboratory-induced dyspnea (breathing discomfort) in healthy subjects is widely used to study perceptual mechanisms, yet the relationship between laboratory-induced dyspnea in healthy volunteers and spontaneous dyspnea in patients with chronic lung disease is not well established. We compared affective responses to dyspnea 1) in COPD patients vs. healthy volunteers (HV) undergoing the same laboratory stimulus; 2) in COPD during laboratory dyspnea vs. during activities of daily living (ADL). ⋯ In this pilot study, we found no evidence that a history of COPD alters the affective response to laboratory-induced dyspnea, and no difference in affective response between dyspnea evoked by this laboratory model and dyspnea evoked by ADL.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Effect of dynamic random leaks on the monitoring accuracy of home mechanical ventilators: a bench study.
So far, the accuracy of tidal volume (VT) and leak measures provided by the built-in software of commercial home ventilators has only been tested using bench linear models with fixed calibrated and continuous leaks. The objective was to assess the reliability of the estimation of tidal volume (VT) and unintentional leaks in a single tubing bench model which introduces random dynamic leaks during inspiratory or expiratory phases. ⋯ In a bench model, the presence of unintentional random leaks may be a source of error in the measurement of VT and leaks provided by the software of home ventilators. Analyzing leaks during inspiration and expiration separately may reduce this source of error.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Observational StudyPerseverant, non-indicated treatment of obese patients for obstructive lung disease.
Bronchodilators are a mainstay of treatment for patients with airflow obstruction. We hypothesized that patients with obesity and no objective documentation of airflow obstruction are inappropriately treated with bronchodilators. ⋯ A substantial proportion of patients with obesity referred for pulmonary function testing did not have obstructive lung disease, but were treated nonetheless, before and after spirometry demonstrating absence of airway obstruction.