Paediatric respiratory reviews
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Paediatr Respir Rev · Jun 2017
ReviewPathophysiology, screening and diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia - A review of the literature.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common complication of extreme prematurity, which has increased over the last 20 years. BPD is associated with increased morbidities and mortality. ⋯ More recent studies have demonstrated an increased awareness of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) in BPD patients and recent international guidelines have advocated for better screening. This review will describe the current understanding of the pathophysiology of PH in infants with BPD, the in-depth assessment of the available literature linking PH and BPD, and propose an approach of screening and diagnosis of PH in infants with BPD.
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Paediatr Respir Rev · Jan 2017
ReviewNeutrophil Extracellular Traps in Respiratory Disease: guided anti-microbial traps or toxic webs?
Neutrophil recruitment to the airways and lungs is a major hallmark of many respiratory diseases. One of the more recently discovered unique innate immune effector mechanisms of neutrophils is the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), consisting of an extracellular network of DNA fibers studded with nuclear and granule proteins. Although in the respiratory system NETs contribute to capture and inactivation of bacteria, fungi and viruses, there is a delicate 'balance' between aid and damage to the host. ⋯ The purpose of this review is to give an up-to-date overview of the current status of NETs in respiratory diseases. We examine both experimental and clinical data concerning the role of NETs in host defence as well as immunopathology, with special attention paid to the literature relevant for the paediatric pulmonology community. Finally, we discuss future treatment strategies that may target the formation of NETs in the airways and lungs.
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Paediatr Respir Rev · Jan 2017
ReviewExercise inducible laryngeal obstruction: diagnostics and management.
Obstruction of the central airways is an important cause of exercise-induced inspiratory symptoms (EIIS) in young and otherwise healthy individuals. This is a large, heterogeneous and vastly understudied group of patients. The symptoms are too often confused with those of asthma. ⋯ Most treatment options are based on weak evidence, but most patients seem to benefit from individualised information and guidance. The place of surgery has not been settled, but supraglottoplasty may cure well-defined severe cases. A systematic clinical approach, more and better research and randomised controlled treatment trials are of utmost importance in this field of respiratory medicine.
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Inhalation injury increases morbidity and mortality in burns victims. While the diagnosis remains largely clinical, bronchoscopy is also helpful to diagnose and grade the severity of any injury. Inhalation injury results from direct thermal injury or chemical irritation of the respiratory tract, systemic toxicity from inhaled substances, or a combination of these factors. ⋯ Conventional ventilation using a lung-protective approach (i.e. low tidal volume, limited plateau pressure, and permissive hypercarbia) is recommended as the initial approach if invasive ventilation is required; various rescue strategies may become necessary if there is a poor response. The efficacy of many widely used pharmacologic adjuncts in inhalation injury remains uncertain. Further research is urgently required to address these gaps in our knowledge.