Chest
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Comparative Study
Contribution of C-reactive protein to the diagnosis and assessment of severity of community-acquired pneumonia.
To assess the usefulness of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis and treatment approach of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). ⋯ Serum CRP level is a useful marker for establishing the diagnosis of CAP in adult patients with lower respiratory tract infections. High CRP values are especially high in patients with pneumonias caused by S pneumoniae or L pneumophila. Moreover, high CRP values are suggestive of severity, which may be of value in deciding about the appropriateness of inpatient care.
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Comparative Study
Accurate, noninvasive continuous monitoring of cardiac output by whole-body electrical bioimpedance.
Cardiac output (CO) is measured but sparingly due to limitations in its measurement technique (ie, right-heart catheterization). Yet, in recent years it has been suggested that CO may be of value in the diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment titration of cardiac patients, especially those with congestive heart failure (CHF). We examine the use of a new noninvasive, continuous whole-body bioimpedance system (NICaS; NI Medical; Hod-Hasharon, Israel) for measuring CO. The aim of the present study was to test the validity of this noninvasive cardiac output system/monitor (NICO) in a cohort of cardiac patients. ⋯ The results of the present study indicate that whole-body bioimpedance CO measurements obtained by the NICO are accurate in rapid, noninvasive measurement and the follow-up of CO in a wide range of cardiac clinical situations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Pulmonary function and sputum production in patients with cystic fibrosis: a pilot study comparing the PercussiveTech HF device and standard chest physiotherapy.
To compare the PercussiveTech HF (PTHF) device (Vortran Medical Technology 1; Sacramento, CA) to standard manual chest physiotherapy (CPT) with respect to acute changes in pulmonary function, sputum production, and pulse oximetry in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). ⋯ The PTHF device appears to be a safe and effective method of airway clearance in CF patients in this small pilot study.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Office spirometry significantly improves early detection of COPD in general practice: the DIDASCO Study.
To determine if spirometry is essential for the early detection of COPD in general practice, compared to the screening value of a short questionnaire. ⋯ The use of a spirometer is mandatory if early stages of OLD are to be detected in general practice. Screening for airflow obstruction almost doubles the number of known patients with OLD.