Panminerva medica
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While a number of individual patient characteristics are associated with survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), their incorporation into combined indexes, such as the GAP index, has been shown to increase the predictive capacity. It is unknown whether the predictive capacity of GAP-derived indexes that also include anthropometric and exercise parameters is superior to the original instrument. ⋯ The IC4, a combined non-dimensional index incorporating FVC%, DLCO%, BMI and 6MWD, provides superior capacity to predict mortality, when compared to its individual components, their other combinations, and the GAP index, in patients with IPF.
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Alpha
1 -antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic-based risk condition, mainly affecting the lungs and liver. Despite its wide distribution, it is largely underdiagnosed, thus being considered a rare disease, and is consequently managed in ad-hoc reference centers. Unfortunately, an easy-to-use algorithm for managing such a complex disease is still lacking. ⋯ The proposed algorithm obtained the endorsement of the Italian Society of Pneumology (SIP). However, further studies and additional clinical data are required to confirm the validity of these recommendations. -
Early chest physiotherapy is recommended for patients with post-COVID syndrome to improve dyspnea, relieve anxiety, minimize disability, preserve lung function and improve Quality of Life. However, there is still no consensus on the best treatments to manage respiratory symptoms. We aimed to test a method based on a guided in/expiratory (I/E) modulation to treat the lung inhomogeneity. ⋯ This study shows that chest physiotherapy using an I/E device to actively recruit peripheral lungs in COVID-19 patients early after hospital discharge improved lung function tests as well as respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity and Quality of Life.