Panminerva medica
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The novel influenza A (H1N1) virus developed in the United States and Mexico in April 2009 and has spread worldwide rapidly. Pulmonary complications are major reason of death associated with influenza A (H1N1) infection. Thus, it is necessary to investigate characteristics on the turnover of A (H1N1) infection complicated with pneumonia. ⋯ We report two typical cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia with chest CT findings and investigate features and turnover of influenza A(H1N1) pneumonia. From the CT appearance of two cases, we found that influenza A(H1N1) complicated with pneumonia might progress rapidly, but it would recover in two or three weeks once it was controlled effectively. The CT images in our report might help the clinician to clearly understand the patterns of onset, progression and outcomes in influenza A(H1N1) complicated with pneumonia.
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We investigated benefits of Pycnogenol(R) as an adjunct to hypotensive medication in metabolic syndrome patients with micro-albuminurea. ⋯ Pycnogenol should be further investigated for kidney function.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and an important worldwide cause of disability and handicap. Centered around exercise training, pulmonary rehabilitation is a global, multidisciplinary, individualized and comprehensive approach acting on the patient as a whole and not only on the pulmonary component of the disease. Pulmonary rehabilitation is now well recognized as an effective and key intervention in the management of several respiratory diseases particularly in COPD. ⋯ This review addresses the recent developments in the broad area of pulmonary rehabilitation as well as new methods to consider in the development of future and better programs. Modern literature for rationale, physiopathological basis, structure, exercise training as well challenges for pulmonary rehabilitation programs are addressed. Among the main challenges of pulmonary rehabilitation, efforts have to be devoted to improve accessibility to early rehabilitation strategies, not only to patients with COPD but to those with other chronic respiratory diseases.
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Comorbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, lung cancer, musculoskeletal dysfunction, osteoporosis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, cardiac disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, anemia, and sleep dysfunction, amongst others. These medical conditions are commonly reported in COPD patients; however, the true prevalence of these conditions based on epidemiological studies is variable. ⋯ It remains to be seen whether or not effective treatment of COPD reduces the risk of developing one of the comorbidities associated with it as well as if interventions that address specific comorbidities, such as improving anemia or preventing, will alter the natural course of COPD. Further investigation is required to gain a better understanding of the interrelationship between COPD and its comorbidities.