Resp Care
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COPD is characterized by chronic air-flow limitation. Smoking is the most important factor in the pathogenesis of COPD. Smoking is associated with increased oxidative stress in the lungs. In this study our aim was to evaluate the differences in the burden of oxidative stress in patients with COPD, smokers, and non-smokers by measuring hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-isoprostane levels in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples. ⋯ Even if respiratory function tests are within normal limits, oxidant burden in lungs of smokers is equivalent to that in COPD patients. 8-isoprostane could be useful in assessing symptom severity and health status of COPD patients.
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In a subset of aspirin-tolerant asthmatics, administration of aspirin improves respiratory symptoms. We present a patient with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps who exhibited relief of nasal obstruction and nasal discharge and improvement in the sense of smell following oral administration of 150 mg of aspirin daily. Improvement in the patency of the nasal passages was documented by nasal endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. Improvement of olfactory function was documented by validated psychophysical olfactory testing and by means of olfactory event-related potentials.
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The ability to rapidly and precisely evaluate patients in respiratory distress is essential. Due to limited opportunities for formal instruction during training, textbooks are the main educational source to teach junior physicians how to interpret the signs of respiratory distress. The quality of the textbook content relevant to respiratory distress is unknown. ⋯ The content of the reviewed textbooks on the evaluation of respiratory distress is inconsistent and deficient.