Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of the bronchodilating effect of salmeterol and zafirlukast in combination with that of their use as single treatments in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
It has been suggested that the effect of a beta2-agonist is additive with that of a cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptor antagonist. ⋯ Both salmeterol and zafirlukast induced a significant increase in FEV1, although salmeterol elicited a greater improvement in both asthmatic and COPD patients. Apparently, zafirlukast at the clinically recommended dose did not produce any further significant acute bronchodilation in addition to that achieved with salmeterol alone, either in asthma or COPD. In any case, evaluation of the effect of the combination over a 12-hour period is mandatory.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Assessment of maximum inspiratory pressure. Prior submaximal respiratory muscle activity ('warm-up') enhances maximum inspiratory activity and attenuates the learning effect of repeated measurement.
The variability of maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) in response to repeated measurement affects its reliability; published studies have used between three and twenty PImax measurements on a single occasion. ⋯ The present data suggest that a specific RWU may attenuate the 'learning effect' during repeated PImax measurements, which is one of the main contributors of the test variability. The use of a RWU may provide a means of obtaining reliable values of PImax following just 3 measurements.