Chest
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Iron lung vs mask ventilation in the treatment of acute on chronic respiratory failure in COPD patients: a multicenter study.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of negative-pressure ventilation (NPV) with the use of the iron lung vs noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in the treatment of COPD patients with acute on chronic respiratory failure. ⋯ These data suggest that both ventilatory techniques are equally effective in avoiding EI and death in COPD patients with ARF. Prospective trials are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Mortality of intrathoracic sarcoidosis in referral vs population-based settings: influence of stage, ethnicity, and corticosteroid therapy.
To compare the sarcoidosis mortality in referral settings (RS) and population-based settings (PS), and to identify the contribution of stage, ethnicity, and corticosteroid therapy (CST) to their disparate outcomes. ⋯ The prognosis of patients with intrathoracic sarcoidosis in PS is far more favorable than that obtained in RS. Sarcoidosis mortality is largely independent of ethnicity. The possibility cannot be excluded that excessive employment of CST may unfavorably influence the long-term course of the disease in some individuals.
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Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) use health-care resources at higher rates than control subjects for years prior to diagnosis. Although obesity and certain cardiovascular disorders are more common in OSAS patients, the precise cause of increased health-care utilization is unclear. ⋯ Of all comorbid diagnoses, significantly increased utilization was found for cardiovascular disease and especially hypertension in the OSAS patients.
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Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is widely applied as a home treatment during sleep. Conventional CPAP devices are based on a blower to generate nasal pressure and to maintain air washout from the circuit. Because common CPAP systems do not incorporate alarms, failure in the device or in the electric supply could result in rebreathing. ⋯ Common CPAP systems run a risk of inducing rebreathing in case of failure. This risk could be easily avoided by including a passive valve in the apparatus.
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To characterize clinical, radiographic, and CT findings of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis (CNPA) in patients with pneumoconiosis. ⋯ Chronic persistent or progressive upper-lobe infiltrates and cavities in patients with pneumoconiosis should raise the possibility of CNPA. Early diagnosis and initiation of effective therapy are recommended to achieve a better outcome.