Articles: chronic.
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Measures of physical function, daily physical activity, and exercise capacity have been proposed for the care of patients with COPD but are not used routinely in daily office care. Gait speed is a powerful and simple measure of physical function in elderly patients and seems to be a promising measure for the daily care of patients with COPD. The objective of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the determinants and factors influencing gait speed in COPD, particularly the association of gait speed with objectively measured physical activity and the most used exercise capacity field test in cardiopulmonary disease: the 6-min walk test (6MWT). ⋯ Gait speed is more indicative of exercise capacity (6MWT) than daily physical activity in COPD. Despite its simplicity, gait speed has outstanding screening properties for detecting poor and very poor 6MWT performance, making it a useful and informative tool for the clinical care of patients with COPD.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jul 2014
STudy of Active Duty Military for Pulmonary Disease Related to Environmental Deployment Exposures (STAMPEDE).
Because of increased levels of airborne particulate matter in Southwest Asia, deployed military personnel are at risk for developing acute and chronic lung diseases. Increased respiratory symptoms are reported, but limited data exist on reported lung diseases. ⋯ Evaluation of new respiratory symptoms in military personnel after service in Southwest Asia should focus on airway hyperreactivity from exposures to higher levels of ambient particulate matter. These patients may be difficult to diagnose and require close follow-up.
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Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a therapeutic technique used to support critically ill patients with acute renal failure in intensive care units. CRRT is preferred over hemodialysis for patients who cannot tolerate the rapid fluid and electrolyte shifts associated with hemodialysis because of their tenuous hemodynamic state. ⋯ This case study chronicles the successful mobilization of a patient undergoing CRRT. This experience suggests that CRRT patients who are appropriate candidates may be mobilized safely and therefore should not automatically be excluded from mobilization therapies.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2014
Phα1β, a Peptide from the Venom of the Spider Phoneutria nigriventer Shows Antinociceptive Effects after Continuous Infusion in a Neuropathic Pain Model in Rats.
Neuropathic pain is a severe painful pathology that is difficult to treat. One option for its management is the continuous intrathecal (i.t.) infusion of ziconotide (the Conus magnus peptide ω-conotoxin MVIIA), which, in addition to being effective, produces serious adverse effects at analgesic doses. Single i.t. administration of Phα1β, a peptide purified from the venom of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer, has antinociceptive effects with a greater therapeutic window than ziconotide in rodents. To further evaluate its analgesic potential, we investigated the antinociceptive and toxic effects of Phα1β after single or continuous i.t. infusion in a rat model of neuropathic pain. ⋯ Thus, we have shown for the first time that the continuous i.t. delivery of Phα1β produces analgesia disconnected from toxicity in a relevant model of neuropathic pain, indicating that it is an effective and safe drug with a great potential to treat pain.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2014
The Effect of Intrathecal Administration TRPA1 Antagonists in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain.
The fact that transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) on the peripheral terminals could attenuate hyperalgesia is widely accepted, but the effect of spinal TRPA1 in the modulation of hyperalgesia has not been fully demonstrated. In the present study, we investigated the effect of intrathecal (i.t.) administration TRPA1 antagonists on chronic pain and expression of TRPA1 and phosphorylation N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B subunit (p-NR2B) in the spinal cord with chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglia (CCD) in rats. ⋯ These data demonstrated that the i.t. administration of TRPA1 antagonists could attenuate neuropathic pain in CCD rats, and this effect could be partially reduced by p-NR2B receptor expression in spinal cord.