Thorax
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Overnight polysomnography is expensive and time consuming. An approach based on a logistic regression model and overnight pulse oximetry has been developed to determine which of the snorers referred to our sleep laboratory need polysomnography. ⋯ It is concluded that snorers with negative results from oximetry classified as not having obstructive sleep apnoea according to this model do not need polysomnography.
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The effect of exercise induced hypoxaemia in determining submaximal exercise capacity, perceived breathlessness, and perceived exertion is not known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation of these variables to the results of lung function tests and the degree of hypoxaemia during submaximal exercise in patients with airflow limitation. ⋯ Oxygen desaturation during the six minute walk is not related to walk distance, nor does it determine the degree of perceived exertion or perceived breathlessness in patients with airflow limitation. Patients who consider themselves the most disabled by breathlessness have the shortest six minute walk distance but do not necessarily have appreciable desaturation.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Inhaled frusemide and exercise induced asthma: evidence of a role for inhibitory prostanoids.
Inhaled frusemide protects subjects with asthma against a wide range of bronchoconstrictor challenges, including allergen, exercise and inhaled sodium metabisulphite. An investigation was designed to determine whether this protection is related to the production of inhibitory prostaglandins, such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), by studying the effect of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin on the protection afforded by inhaled frusemide against exercise induced asthma. ⋯ These findings support a role for inhibitory prostanoids, such as PGE2, in the beneficial effects of frusemide as a protection against exercise induced asthma.
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A localised fibrous mesothelioma arising from an intralobar lung sequestration occurred in a 64 year old Turkish woman. This appears to be the first report of a mesothelioma occurring within a pulmonary sequestration.
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A 75 year old woman presented with a three week history of severe dyspnoea and cough. Auscultation and spirometry suggested extrathoracic inspiratory airway obstruction, and bronchoscopy showed abnormal motion of the arytenoid region (supraglottic area), causing upper airway obstruction only during forced inspiratory efforts. Sedatives improved the symptoms within a week. It is suggested that reversible malfunction of the arytenoid region can be responsible for upper airway obstruction.