International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2012
Role of BiPAP applied through endotracheal tube in unconscious patients suffering from acute exacerbation of COPD: a pilot study.
Mechanical ventilation is the recommended treatment in unconscious patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and hypercapenic respiratory failure. But, in resource-poor countries, many of these patients are not able to afford this treatment due to financial constraints. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness, safety and cost-effectiveness of bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) applied via endotracheal tube in such patients. ⋯ This pilot study reveals that this treatment modality could be a safe, cost-effective and efficacious method of treatment in unconscious patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Multicenter StudyValue of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and neopterin in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The identification of biological markers in order to assess different aspects of COPD is an area of growing interest. The objective of this study was to investigate whether levels of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neopterin in COPD patients could be useful in identifying the etiological origin of the exacerbation and assessing its prognosis. ⋯ According to our results, biomarker levels vary depending on the clinical status. However, the identification of the etiology of infectious exacerbation by means of circulating biomarkers is encouraging, but its main disadvantage is the absence of a microbiological gold standard, to definitively demonstrate their value. High biomarker levels during an exacerbation episode correlate with the short-term prognosis, and therefore their measurement can be useful for COPD management.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Meta AnalysisSafety of indacaterol in the treatment of patients with COPD.
Pooled data were analyzed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of indacaterol, a once-daily inhaled long-acting β(2)-agonist for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ Indacaterol has a good profile of safety and tolerability that is appropriate for the maintenance treatment of patients with COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyA novel study design for antibiotic trials in acute exacerbations of COPD: MAESTRAL methodology.
Antibiotics, along with oral corticosteroids, are standard treatments for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The ultimate aims of treatment are to minimize the impact of the current exacerbation, and by ensuring complete resolution, reduce the risk of relapse. In the absence of superiority studies of antibiotics in AECOPD, evidence of the relative efficacy of different drugs is lacking, and so it is difficult for physicians to select the most effective antibiotic. ⋯ Patients enrolled are those at high-risk of treatment failure, and all are experiencing an Anthonisen type I exacerbation. Patients are stratified according to oral corticosteroid use to control their effect across antibiotic treatment arms. Secondary endpoints include quality of life, symptom assessments and health care resource use.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyDelivery characteristics and patients' handling of two single-dose dry-powder inhalers used in COPD.
For optimal efficacy, an inhaler should deliver doses consistently and be easy for patients to use with minimal instruction. The delivery characteristics, patients' correct use, and preference of two single-dose dry powder inhalers (Breezhaler and HandiHaler) were evaluated in two complementary studies. The first study examined aerodynamic particle size distribution, using inhalation profiles of seven patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ Breezhaler is a low-resistance inhaler suitable for use by patients with a range of disease severities. Most patients used both inhalers correctly after 7 days, but more patients showed an overall preference for the Breezhaler compared with the HandiHaler. These are important factors for optimum dose delivery and successful COPD management.