American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 2013
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialPrognostic value of bronchiectasis in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The prevalence of bronchiectasis is high in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and it has been associated with exacerbations and bacterial colonization. These have demonstrated some degree of prognostic value in patients with COPD but no information about the relationship between bronchiectasis and mortality in patients with COPD is currently available. ⋯ Bronchiectasis was associated with an independent increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyExploring the effects of omalizumab in allergic asthma: an analysis of biomarkers in the EXTRA study.
For many patients with asthma, allergic airway inflammation is primarily a Th2-weighted process; however, heterogeneity in patterns of inflammation suggests phenotypic distinctions exist that influence disease presentation and treatment effects. ⋯ The difference in exacerbation frequency between omalizumab and placebo was greatest in the three high-biomarker subgroups, probably associated with the greater risk for exacerbations in high subgroups. Additional studies are required to explore the value of these biomarkers in clinical practice. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00314574).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 2013
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialEarly identification of patients at risk for difficult intubation in the intensive care unit: development and validation of the MACOCHA score in a multicenter cohort study.
Difficult intubation in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a challenging issue. ⋯ Difficult intubation in the ICU is strongly associated with severe life-threatening complications. A simple score including seven clinical items discriminates difficult and nondifficult intubation in the ICU. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01532063).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyHealth outcomes of continuous positive airway pressure versus oral appliance treatment for obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized controlled trial.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mandibular advancement device (MAD) therapy are commonly used to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Differences in efficacy and compliance of these treatments are likely to influence improvements in health outcomes. ⋯ Important health outcomes were similar after 1 month of optimal MAD and CPAP treatment in patients with moderate-severe OSA. The results may be explained by greater efficacy of CPAP being offset by inferior compliance relative to MAD, resulting in similar effectiveness. Clinical trial registered with https://www.anzctr.org.au (ACTRN 12607000289415).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA multicenter randomized trial of atorvastatin therapy in intensive care patients with severe sepsis.
Observational studies link statin therapy with improved outcomes in patients with severe sepsis. ⋯ Atorvastatin therapy in severe sepsis did not affect IL-6 levels. Prior statin use was associated with a lower baseline IL-6 concentration and continuation of atorvastatin in this cohort was associated with improved survival. Clinical trial registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12607000028404).