Articles: function.
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The Quality of Life Questionnaire-Bronchiectasis (QOL-B) is the first disease-specific, patient-reported outcome measure for patients with bronchiectasis. Content validity, cognitive testing, responsivity to open-label treatment, and psychometric analyses are presented. ⋯ This interim QOL-B is a promising tool for evaluating the efficacy of new therapies for patients with bronchiectasis and for measuring symptoms, functioning, and quality of life in these patients on a routine basis. A final psychometric validation study is needed and is forthcoming.
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Critical care medicine · Aug 2014
Comparative StudyFeasibility of a Multiple-Choice Mini Mental State Examination for Chronically Critically Ill Patients.
Following treatment in an ICU, up to 70% of chronically critically ill patients present neurocognitive impairment that can have negative effects on their quality of life, daily activities, and return to work. The Mini Mental State Examination is a simple, widely used tool for neurocognitive assessment. Although of interest when evaluating ICU patients, the current version is restricted to patients who are able to speak. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a visual, multiple-choice Mini Mental State Examination for ICU patients who are unable to speak. ⋯ Administration of the multiple-choice Mini Mental State Examination to ICU patients was straightforward and produced exploitable results comparable to those of the standard Mini Mental State Examination. It should be of interest for the assessment and monitoring of the neurocognitive performance of chronically critically ill patients during and after their ICU stay. The multiple-choice Mini Mental State Examination tool's role in neurorehabilitation and its utility in monitoring neurocognitive functions in ICU should be assessed in future studies.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Aug 2014
ReviewPulmonary complications in patients receiving a solid-organ transplant.
Major improvements in perioperative care and immunobiology have not abated the risk for severe pulmonary complications after solid-organ transplantation. The aim of this study is to update information on infectious and noninfectious pulmonary complications after solid-organ transplantation, addressing epidemiology, risk factors, diagnostic workup, and management. ⋯ Pulmonary complications after solid-organ transplantation, and particularly infections, are able to compromise the extremely good results of the transplant procedures. Solid-organ transplantation recipients challenge the ICU physician with unique aspects of their post-transplant course, adding, in an already critical patient, the immunosuppressed state and the quality of the functional recovery of the graft.
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Chemotherapy-induced painful peripheral neuropathy (CIPPN) affects up to 90% of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy agents. Despite the fact that it is relatively common, the underlying pathophysiology is still unclear and its treatment remains generic. Mechanisms of CIPPN are multifactorial, dependent on the specific chemotherapeutic agent used, and include multiple patient-related factors, including genetic factors that may predispose patients to either develop or not develop CIPPN. The purpose of this article is to review mechanisms, clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis for patients who develop CIPPN. We also offer research considerations for this complex and unpredictable phenomenon. ⋯ The management of CIPPN remains a clinical challenge for pain practitioners. As more research is being carried out to elucidate its pathophysiology and therapy, the innovative use of several non-traditional categories of drugs seems promising in the management of this complex phenomenon. Studies addressing predictability and possible genetic predisposition are necessary not only for preventive measures but also for targeted treatments.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Aug 2014
Controlled Clinical TrialRight ventricular function in late-onset Pompe disease.
Pompe's disease is a glycogen storage disease (type II) characterized by inherited autosomal recessive transmission. The right ventricular (RV) function is a determinant parameter of clinical outcome in patients with heart failure. We sought to characterize the RV function using Doppler-echocardiography completed by Doppler tissular imaging and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) measurement. ⋯ Mean peak systolic RV velocity Sm was not significantly different in the two groups (17.11 ± 3.4 cm/s in Pompe disease vs 16.14 ± 3.8 cm/s in control group p = 0.61). Mean peak early diastolic Ea velocity in the RV were not significantly different in the two groups (15.6 ± 5.6 vs 18.2 ± 4.9 cm/s p = 0.34). According to our data, RV systolic function seems preserved in late-onset Pompe disease.