American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialIntrapleural streptokinase versus urokinase in the treatment of complicated parapneumonic effusions: a prospective, double-blind study.
Intrapleural administration of fibrinolytics has been shown in small numbers of patients with complicated parapneumonic effusions (CPE) and pleural empyema to be effective and relatively safe. Although streptokinase (SK) is recommended as the fibrinolytic of choice, there are no comparative studies among fibrinolytics. We therefore compared the efficacy, safety, and the cost of treatment two of the most used thrombolytics, SK and urokinase (UK). ⋯ The mean total hospital stay after beginning fibrinolytic therapy was 11.28 +/- 2.44 d (range, 7 to 15) for the SK group and 10.48 +/- 2.53 d (range, 6 to 18) for the UK group (p = 0.32). We conclude that intrapleural SK or UK is an effective adjunct in the management of parapneumonic effusions and may reduce the need for surgery. UK could be the thrombolytic of choice given the potentially dangerous allergic reactions to SK and relatively little higher cost of UK.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 1997
Comparative StudyNoninvasive monitoring of cardiac output in critically ill patients with thoracocardiography.
Thoracocardiography noninvasively estimates changes in cardiac output by recording ventricular volume curves from an inductive plethysmographic transducer placed around the chest near the xiphoid process. We evaluated performance of thoracocardiography for estimation of cardiac output in 21 critically ill patients in comparison to thermodilution. A total of 201 paired cardiac output measurements were obtained over periods of 35 to 254 min. ⋯ The mean difference (bias) of cardiac output (thoracocardiography - thermodilution) was 0.0 L/min, the limits of agreement (bias +/- 2 SD) included a range from -1.5 to +1.6 L/min. For estimations of relative changes in cardiac output by thoracocardiography and thermodilution the bias was 0%, and the limits of agreement -21 and +22%. We conclude that thoracocardiography is a promising noninvasive technique for monitoring cardiac output in critically ill patients.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 1997
Review Case ReportsBronchial casts in children: a proposed classification based on nine cases and a review of the literature.
Bronchial casts are characterized by the formation of obstructive airway plugs that may be large enough to fill the branching pattern of an entire lung. The condition is rare but can occur at any age. Casts may be secondary to underlying diseases such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, but there are often no predisposing factors. ⋯ Survivors of Type 1 casts seem to be well controlled with inhaled steroids. Optimal therapy for patients with Type 2 casts is not clear; the prognosis probably depends on underlying cardiac status. We hope that this simple classification will provide a framework for further study of this obscure condition.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 1997
Systemic, pulmonary and mesenteric perfusion and oxygenation effects of dopamine and epinephrine.
The response of the systemic, pulmonary, hepatic and portal circulations to infusion of dopamine and epinephrine was studied in newborn piglets 1 to 3 d of age. Anesthetized animals were instrumented to measure cardiac index (CI), hepatic arterial flow, and portal venous blood flow. Catheters were inserted for measurement of systemic arterial pressure (SAP), pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), and for sampling of arterial, portal venous, and mixed venous oxygen saturations and plasma lactate levels. ⋯ Systemic and mesenteric oxygen extraction were not affected by dopamine or epinephrine infusions. Plasma lactate levels were significantly elevated with epinephrine infusion 3.2 microg/kg/min. The differential responses of dopamine and epinephrine on pulmonary and mesenteric circulations may be significant in the pathophysiology and management of persistent fetal circulation and necrotizing enterocolitis.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialInhaled salmeterol or oral theophylline in nocturnal asthma?
Nocturnal cough and wheeze are common in asthma and often treated with beta2 agonists or theophyllines. As nocturnal asthma and these therapies may affect sleep and cognition, we compared 50 microg salmeterol inhaled every 12 h with individually dose-titrated sustained-release oral theophylline on sleep quality and cognitive performance in 15 patients with stable nocturnal asthma (overnight peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR] fall > or = 15%, > or = 1 asthmatic awakening/week) using a double-blind, double-dummy, crossover design with 14-d therapy limbs. Cognitive testing and polysomnography were performed on Nights 13 and 14. ⋯ Visual vigilance improved on salmetrol (p < 0.05), but otherwise daytime cognition was unaffected. There was no patient preference for either therapy. Hence in patients with nocturnal asthma, we demonstrate no major clinical advantage, but a small benefit in sleep quality, quality of life, and daytime cognitive function with salmeterol.