Clinics in chest medicine
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Clinics in chest medicine · Jun 1994
ReviewExercise limitation and clinical exercise testing in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Clinical exercise testing is an important tool in assessment of exercise limitation in COPD patients, in assessment of physiologic and psychological factors that contribute to exercise limitation, and in the differential diagnosis of cardiorespiratory disease. Further studies that examine the clinical utility of exercise testing are needed because there are currently insufficient data regarding the utility of many exercise variables.
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Clinics in chest medicine · Jun 1994
ReviewThe role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in lung and heart-lung transplantation.
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in recipients of lung and heart-lung transplants demonstrates significant restoration of exercise tolerance to individuals severely disabled by their underlying cardiopulmonary disease. Recipients can perform moderate levels of activity compatible with a normal lifestyle. Considerable exercise limitation, however, remains in most recipients as measured by maximum oxygen uptake and work rate, despite substantial improvement and often normalization in resting cardiopulmonary function. ⋯ Peripheral factors limiting exercise (which may include abnormalities in the peripheral circulation and peripheral neuromuscular structure and function) are almost universally seen and are probably the primary determinant of exercise limitation in these patients. At present, the relative contributions of various peripheral factors to exercise limitation are unclear. Further study may help elucidate these issues.
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The medical history is the first step in the clinical evaluation of exertional dyspnea. It should include pertinent questions about the characteristics of dyspnea, especially descriptive qualities, onset, frequency, severity, and activities that provoke the symptom. Based on this information, along with the physical examination, the health care provider should be able to categorize the cause of exertional dyspnea as suspected cardiac disease, suspected respiratory disease, or as unexplained. ⋯ Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is indicated to differentiate cardiac and respiratory limitation, to document deconditioning, and to identify psychogenic dyspnea. The measurement of dyspnea and leg discomfort during exercise testing can be performed using the Borg 0 to 10 category-ratio scale or the visual analog scale. These perceptual responses can provide useful information about symptom limitation, which is complementary to physiologic data.
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Securing the airway is an important first step in respiratory emergencies. In this article, general principles of airway management are reviewed. The techniques of tracheal intubation, including surgical routes of airway access, are discussed in reference to special circumstances that can arise in acute airway management.
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The first priorities in treating the patient with massive hemoptysis are to maintain the airway, optimize oxygenation, and stabilize the hemodynamic status. The major question to be answered is whether or not the patient should be intubated for better gas exchange, suctioning, and protection from sudden cardiorespiratory arrest. If the bleeding site is known, the patient should be placed with the bleeding lung in the dependent position. ⋯ Little data are available to assist in this decision, even for specific diseases, such as bronchiectasis. Similarly, the long-term course of patients treated with endobronchial tamponade or topical therapy is unknown. For patients with inoperable disease, limited reserve, or bilateral progressive disease, embolization frequently controls bleeding for prolonged periods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)