Chest
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effects of aerosolized adenosine 5'-triphosphate vs adenosine 5'-monophosphate on dyspnea and airway caliber in healthy nonsmokers and patients with asthma.
Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) causes neurogenic bronchoconstriction, inflammation, and coughs, and may play a mechanistic role in obstructive airway diseases. The aims of this study were to determine the effects of inhaled ATP on airway function, and to compare these effects with those of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP). ⋯ ATP is a more potent bronchoconstrictor and has greater effects on dyspnea and other symptoms than AMP in asthmatic patients. Therefore, ATP could potentially be used as a bronchoprovocator in the clinical setting.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Dexamethasone: benefit and prejudice for patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: a study on myocardial, pulmonary, renal, intestinal, and hepatic injury.
Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) results in perioperative organ damage caused by the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Administration of corticosteroids before CPB has been demonstrated to inhibit the activation of the systemic inflammatory response. However, the clinical benefits of corticosteroid therapy are controversial. This study was designed to document the effects of dexamethasone on cytokine release and perioperative myocardial, pulmonary, renal, intestinal, and hepatic damage, as assessed by specific and sensitive biomarkers. ⋯ Even while inhibiting SIRS, dexamethasone treatment offered no protection against transient, subclinical, perioperative abdominal organ damage. Tryptase release could have a preconditioning effect, offering protection against perioperative intestinal and renal damage. Dexamethasone treatment resulted in more pronounced postoperative pulmonary dysfunction, prolonged time to tracheal extubation, and initiated postoperative hyperglycemia in patients undergoing elective on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Manual hyperinflation improves alveolar recruitment in difficult-to-wean patients.
To investigate the effect of manual hyperinflation (MH) in patients with atelectasis associated with ventilation support. ⋯ MH performed on patients with atelectasis from ventilation support significantly improved alveolar recruitment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A randomized trial of two types of nurse-assisted home care for patients with COPD.
Whereas pulmonary rehabilitation reduces symptoms and improves the quality of life of patients with COPD and is recommended in management guidelines, few patients have access to rehabilitation services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of increasing access to selected components of pulmonary rehabilitation by providing nurse-assisted home care that was composed of patient education, efforts to improve patient self-management skills, and enhanced follow-up. ⋯ The findings of our investigation and those from the published literature suggest that interventions to enhance patient education, self-management skills, and follow-up among patients with COPD do not result in clinically meaningful improvements in health status or self-reported health-care utilization. Moreover, future studies of disease management programs for patients with COPD need to evaluate interventions that address associated comorbidities, exercise, and social support.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effect of heated humidification on compliance and quality of life in patients with sleep apnea using nasal continuous positive airway pressure.
To determine whether the addition of heated humidification at treatment initiation with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would lead to better CPAP compliance and improve quality of life and subjective sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea. ⋯ The addition of heated humidification when nasal CPAP was instituted did not lead to better compliance, greater improvement in sleepiness, or improved quality of life, but was associated with fewer symptoms attributable to the upper airway.