Thorax
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Inspiratory muscle training to enhance recovery from mechanical ventilation: a randomised trial.
In patients who have been mechanically ventilated, inspiratory muscles remain weak and fatigable following ventilatory weaning, which may contribute to dyspnoea and limited functional recovery. Inspiratory muscle training may improve inspiratory muscle strength and endurance following weaning, potentially improving dyspnoea and quality of life in this patient group. ⋯ Inspiratory muscle training following successful weaning increases inspiratory muscle strength and quality of life, but we cannot confidently rule out an associated increased risk of in-hospital mortality.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Systemic inflammation after critical illness: relationship with physical recovery and exploration of potential mechanisms.
Physical recovery following critical illness is slow, often incomplete and is resistant to rehabilitation interventions. We aimed to explore the contribution of persisting inflammation to recovery, and investigated the potential role of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in its pathogenesis. ⋯ Inflammation is prevalent after critical illness and is associated with poor physical recovery during the first 3 months post-ICU discharge. Previous HCMV exposure is associated with a proinflammatory phenotype despite the absence of detectable systemic viraemia.
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Severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) is very uncommon in COPD, and a distinct phenotype has been hypothesised. We aimed to evaluate whether CT can help to recognise this condition non-invasively by measuring small pulmonary vessels. ⋯ CT measurements of small vessels support a distinct vessel-related phenotype in patients with COPD with severe PH, and combined with WT and PaO2 parameters in the paw score, which may offer a non-invasive tool to select patients for RHC.