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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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Jan 2004
Quality of generated diagnosis related groups in Italian Respiratory Intermediate Care Units.
To date we lack official data on tipology of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) and their quality in Italian Respiratory Intermediate Care Units (RICUs). ⋯ Severe pulmonary diseases determined the case mix of patients cared for in the Italian RICUs during the observed period. The Italian RICUs offer high quality assistance and are characterised by high mean weight per treated patient. However, the activity has been under-estimated due to the low sensitivity of the ICD9 classification system used in the recognition of the real disease and in the correct generation of relative DRG. The ICD9 classification system penalised the recognition of respiratory failure in particular.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Jan 2004
ReviewRespiration during sleep in neuromuscular and thoracic cage disorders.
Many of the neuromuscular and thoracic cage disorders are associated with disorders of breathing during sleep. The abnormal mechanics of the chest wall impairs respiratory muscle function and this is compounded if there is underlying muscle weakness. Respiratory abnormalities appear during REM sleep before NREM or wakefulness. ⋯ Arousals from sleep return the blood gases towards normal, but cause fragmentation of sleep, leading to daytime sleepiness. Ventilatory failure occurs particularly if the vital capacity is less than 1.0-1.5 litres or if the maximal inspiratory mouth pressure is less than 20-25cmH2O. Non invasive ventilation effectively prevents both central and obstructive apnoeas and improves the sleep architecture and daytime blood gases.
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Pneumonia is common in those patients placed in intensive care units, especially in mechanically ventilated patients. The high mortality rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia requires a rapid initiation of the appropriate antibiotic treatment. ⋯ Such conditions include pulmonary haemorrhages, acute eosinophilic pneumonia, malignancy, drug-induced toxicity, adult respiratory distress syndrome and cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. It is important to distinguish these conditions from pneumonia because the management and prognosis of these entities is quite different.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Jan 2004
Case ReportsAcute eosinophilic pneumonia with respiratory failure: a case likely triggered by cigarette smoking.
The authors report a case of acute respiratory failure that fulfils the diagnostic criteria for acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia and eosinophilic lung diseases are also discussed. The pathogenetic events, including the role of IL-5, eotaxin 1 and 2 and VEGF are emphasised.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Jan 2004
Ethics, attitude and practice in end-of-life care decision: an European perspective.
Only in the last decade in Europe has there been increased attention dedicated to the end-of-life care in the hospital, especially in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The definitions of the potential decision are extremely important. Withholding is a planned decision not to institute therapies that were otherwise warranted, Withdrawal is the discontinuation of treatments that had been started, Terminal sedation consists of pain and symptom treatment with the possible side effect of shortening life, while Euthanasia means that a doctor is intentionally killing a person who is suffering unbearably and hopelessly at the latter's explicit informed request. ⋯ Only <15% of ICU patients retain decision making capacity, allowing the impossibility of discussing the decision with them. It is rare that the patient's family is involved in the decision and when such case does arise, the relatives rate the communication with hospital staff poor. The "shared decision" taken together by physicians, nurses, and the patient's family may be the best approach for end-of-life decision, therefore common European guidelines are needed.