Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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The silicone stent has been widely used to re-establish airway patency for patients with airway stenosis. The ideal shape of the stent should be well adapted to the tracheobronchial anatomic structures, and its optimal length should cover the entire inner wall of the stenotic airway. ⋯ The present study reports 2 cases of malignant disease who underwent double Y-stent placement on the involved carina between the right upper lobe bronchus and the bronchus intermedius as well as on the involved main carina as a unit. The procedure provided successful palliation.
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Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, especially useful for the treatment of severe persistent allergic asthma, inadequately controlled despite regular therapy. ⋯ Our results confirmed that anti-IgE therapy with omalizumab in patients with severe persistent allergic asthma results in decreased expression of ET-1 in the airways. This could be very important in limiting airway inflammation and bronchial structural changes caused by such treatment in asthmatic patients.
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Propofol is a fast-acting intravenous sedative that has advantages as a procedural sedative over traditional regimens. It has been shown to have a similar safety profile to traditional sedating medications in the setting of gastroenterologic endoscopy. Nurse-administered propofol sedation is given by a specially-trained nurse, without anesthesiologist involvement. ⋯ Nurse-administered propofol sedation is a feasible and safe sedation method for bronchoscopic procedures.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Oxygen consumption, shuttle walking test and the evaluation of lung resection.
Assessment of peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)) is recommended in the evaluation of patients with borderline pulmonary function as VO(2) is the strongest independent predictor of postoperative pulmonary complications. However, the measurement of VO(2) requires expensive equipment not available in many medical facilities. The shuttle walking test (SWT) has been proposed to be used as a screening tool prior to performing a cardiopulmonary exercise test. Although an association exists between SWT distance and VO(2), only one small study directly measured VO(2) during the SWT. ⋯ Our findings validate the association between VO(2) and SWT distance and facilitate the interpretation of the test in general practice, particularly when deciding the candidacy of a patient for surgical resection.