Monaldi archives for chest disease = Archivio Monaldi per le malattie del torace / Fondazione clinica del lavoro, IRCCS [and] Istituto di clinica tisiologica e malattie apparato respiratorio, Università di Napoli, Secondo ateneo
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Ambulatory oxygen therapy in patients with COPD and exercise hypoxaemia may improve exercise capacity and breathlessness. The improvement in exercise tolerance is related to the degree of exercise hypoxaemia. ⋯ For effective ambulatory oxygen delivery, oxygen should be provided either by small liquid oxygen tanks or by small lightweight cylinders and conserving devices. Studies are required to evaluate the longer term effects of ambulatory oxygen on daily life.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Jun 1996
Case ReportsParadoxical bronchospasm and cutaneous rash after metered-dose inhaled bronchodilators.
The authors describe a case of paradoxical bronchospasm with laryngospasm and cutaneous rash occurring in an asthmatic woman after the use, via metered-dose inhaler, of different bronchodilators containing soy-derived excipients. It is noteworthy that the patient was not affected by soy allergy. After a short review of the relevant literature, the authors consider the possible aetiopathogenetic factors and outline the importance of this rare adverse reaction in the care of asthmatic patients.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Jun 1996
ReviewRespiratory function in children with neuromuscular disease.
Respiratory failure is the most common cause of death in children with neuromuscular disease (NMD). This article provides a conceptual framework for understanding failure of the respiratory pump in these children. Pump failure can be attributed to faulty control of respiration, to mechanical defects, and to respiratory muscle fatigue. ⋯ The combination of a weak, inefficient respiratory pump and an abnormally high elastic load can predispose these patients to respiratory muscle fatigue. Respiratory muscle rest with nocturnal assisted ventilation, therefore, provides a rational approach to the treatment of chronic respiratory failure in patients with NMD. Areas of future research that may prove useful in the care of children with respiratory failure due to NMD include: the development of better ways of assessing respiratory muscle fatigue; studies to increase understanding of the role of mechanical ventilation in improving chest wall and respiratory pump function; and studies delineating the role of respiratory muscle training in these patients.