Thorax
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Dyspnoea assessed by visual analogue scale in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease during progressive and high intensity exercise.
A study was carried out to determine whether rating of dyspnoea by means of a visual analogue scale during a progressive exercise test is affected by the subject's awareness of the progressive nature of the protocol. ⋯ The results suggest that in most patients with chronic obstructive lung disease the assessment of exercise induced dyspnoea by means of a visual analogue scale during a progressive exercise test is not affected by the subject's awareness of the progressive increase in work intensity.
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Domiciliary assisted ventilation, using negative or positive pressure devices, is an effective treatment for respiratory failure due to chest wall deformity and neuromuscular disease. Negative pressure ventilators have been used with some success in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease in hospital, but attempts to continue treatment at home have been disappointing. This study evaluates the practicalities of nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation at home in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease and the effect on sleep and quality of life. ⋯ Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation can be used effectively at home during sleep in selected patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Its future place in management can be established only by formal comparison with long term oxygen therapy.