Articles: respiratory-distress-syndrome.
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Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2-R) over a membrane lung is a new therapy for patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who frequently suffer from lung complications caused by long-term artificial ventilation and who may require major thoracic surgery. This is a report of 76 patients with severe ARDS who were treated by ECCO2-R. Twenty-six of these 76 patients required thoracotomy: 19 for pneumothorax and pneumatocele, and seven for haemothorax, infected lung necrosis or oesophagotracheal fistula. ⋯ Ten of these 26 patients required reoperation, usually for extensive persisting alveolar air leaks. Sixteen (62 per cent) of the 26 patients who had a thoracotomy and 22 (44 per cent) of the 50 patients without surgery survived. These results demonstrate that performing a thoracotomy, if necessary, does not diminish the survival chance of high-risk patients with severe ARDS.
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In cancer patients, respiratory distress may be due to cancer directly, to cancer complications, to cancer treatment complications or unrelated diseases. Based on the identification of the mechanism and cause of the dyspnea, therapy that will be given in a critical care unit, will be both etiological and supportive. It will take into account the prognosis of the underlying neoplastic disease.
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The adult respiratory distress syndrome developing within 24 hours in a patient who underwent suction lipectomy for body contouring under general anaesthesia is reported. During surgery, in which a total of 1.3 l of suction matter was removed, the patient became haemodynamically unstable and mildly hyperthermic. Subsequently, clinical signs and symptoms of the fat embolism syndrome developed. ⋯ Malignant hyperthermia was excluded as cause for the clinical presentation on muscle biopsy and in vitro caffeine contracture studies. Although usually complication-free, suction lipectomy may be associated with life-threatening incidents. Even suction volumes as low as 1.3 l have potential hazards, therefore the procedure merits regular postoperative observation and re-assessment.
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A 23-year-old healthy woman in her third trimester of pregnancy developed adult respiratory distress syndrome secondary to Blastomyces dermatitides. Pregnancy-related immunosuppression was believed to be responsible for the fungal infection. ⋯ Although the fetal and maternal sides of the placenta demonstrated fungal spores, the child remained healthy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of blastomycosis-associated adult respiratory distress syndrome occurring during pregnancy.
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Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. · Nov 1990
Determination of serum concentrations of type III procollagen peptide in mechanically ventilated patients. Pronounced augmented concentrations in the adult respiratory distress syndrome.
Type III procollagen peptide (PCP) is a byproduct of type III collagen synthesis and a potential marker of collagen secretion. In chronic diffuse interstitial lung diseases, elevated PCP concentrations have been found in serum as well as in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. It has been proposed that PCP is a marker of early, active stages of fibrosis. ⋯ PCP concentrations in patients with ARDS were extremely elevated compared with those in control subjects (p less than 0.001) and correlated positively with FiO2 (r = 0.71, p less than 0.01). These results support the pathophysiologic concept of early fibrogenesis in ARDS. As preventing pulmonary fibrosis in ARDS is essential in improving survival rate, we believe PCP can be a valuable diagnostic tool in ARDS.