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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Sleep has well recognised effects on respiratory muscle function, most of which are detrimental. Upper airway dilator muscle function is compromised, which predisposes to obstruction, particularly during rapid-eye-movement sleep (REM). ⋯ However, accessory muscle function is reduced, particularly during REM sleep, which may have adverse effects on lung mechanics. These changes contribute to hypoventilation and worsening ventilation-perfusion mismatching, particularly in patients with chronic lung disease such as COPD, with resulting oxygen desaturation.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Oct 2002
ReviewNocturnal ventilation in neuromuscular disease--when and how?
While much evidence has been gained over the last decade to support the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in a series of acute and chronic applications, some issues still need to be addressed, particularly regarding the timing of initiation of NIV and the best methods of implementation. This article discusses the role of NIV, if any, in preventing respiratory decline, as a physiotherapy adjunct, and in perioperative care for adults and children with neuromuscular disease.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Oct 2002
GENEBU Project. Equipment and drugs used for home nebulizer therapy in Italy.
The GENEBU Project is an open, observational survey evaluating home nebulizer practices in Italy. It consecutively included patients who were referred to one of the 27 participating chest clinics from May to December 1999 and who had been using a home nebulizer in the previous six months. The information source was a self-administered questionnaire compiled by the enrolled subjects. ⋯ More than 90% of patients mixed some active drugs. We conclude that the nebulizer equipment for home aerosol therapy was very heterogeneous and, probably, not always utilised at its best in Italy. The mixing of drugs and the widespread use of corticosteroids were peculiarities of home nebulizer therapy in Italy.
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Air pollution is one of the world's most serious environmental problems. It has been common knowledge for many years now that the lung is one of the main target organs of environmental agents. Over the last ten years, in particular, lung diseases have increased dramatically and the literature on the subject reports high death rates from lung cancer and an increased incidence of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ Moreover, air irritants can give rise to inflammatory damage of the mucous membrane of the airways, thereby making it more susceptible to various types of allergens. In conclusion, air pollution is an important etiological factor for many chronic respiratory disorders, such as bronchial asthma and COPD. Prevention programs and early treatments are essential in an attempt to block the clinical-functional deterioration caused by these respiratory diseases.
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · May 2002
Review[Neurologic events after heart surgery: the need for a more thorough preoperative assessment].
The occurrence of neurologic complications after cardiac surgery varies widely and has increased during the last years for several reasons: older age of patients, higher prevalence aortic valve replacement, and more careful diagnosis of cerebral ischemia. Recent studies showed that embolic mechanism is involved in most patients, and two main clinical outcomes are detectable: type I outcome, consisting of TIA and ischemic stroke, and type II outcome, consisting of cognitive defects and seizures. ⋯ The preoperative work-up should include two-dimensional echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography (for detecting patients with ascending aortic lesion who need alternative surgical strategies, i.e. different site of cross clamping, cannulation, and proximal anastomosis of the venous graft), Doppler ultrasound of carotid arteries (for identifying those candidates to combined surgery), and psychobehavioural evaluation (for selecting patients with cognitive deterioration who could be treat by off-pump surgery). In conclusion, a preoperative stratification of the neurologic risk, and a more careful postoperative monitoring should be mandatory for preventing and adequately treating neurologic complications of cardiac surgery.