Canadian respiratory journal : journal of the Canadian Thoracic Society
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A review of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) claims in Ontario from 1998 to 2002 showed an unusual spike in the number of claims accepted for work-exacerbated asthma (WEA) in April 2001. ⋯ [corrected] The spike in accepted WEA claims in Ontario in April 2001 was temporally associated with a strike by Toronto District School Board cleaners, suggesting acute symptomatic effects of poor workplace (school) maintenance on asthmatic employees. The WSIB database was sufficiently sensitive to capture this phenomenon.
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Comparative Study
Management of malignant pleural effusions with indwelling pleural catheters or talc pleurodesis.
Management of malignant pleural effusion typically involves insertion of an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) or chemical pleurodesis with agents such as talc. ⋯ Both IPC insertion and TP remain acceptable options for the management of malignant pleural effusions.
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The most effective approaches to escalating advanced therapies in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are controversial. ⋯ Based on registry data, adoption of this strategy did not affect survival rates, nor cause a sustained improvement in 6MWD by 12 months. WHO class improved similarly in both treatment groups.
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Patients with lung cancer often experience a reduction in exercise tolerance, muscle weakness and decreased quality of life. Although the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation programs is well recognized in other forms of cancers and in many pulmonary diseases, few researchers have studied its impact in patients with lung cancer, particularly in those awaiting lung resection surgery (LRS). ⋯ In patients with lung cancer awaiting LRS, HBETP was feasible and improved exercise tolerance and muscle strength. This may be clinically relevant because poor exercise capacity and muscle weakness are predictors of postoperative complications.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory condition and the fourth leading cause of death in Canada. Optimal COPD management requires patients to participate in their care and physician knowledge of patients' perceptions of their disease. ⋯ Despite the dissemination of Canadian and international COPD clinical practice guidelines for more than a decade, potential care gaps remain among patients seen by respiratory specialist physicians. Differing perceptions regarding many aspects of COPD among physicians and patients may contribute to these care gaps.