Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
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Acute respiratory distress in children is often a consequence of asthma. Other causes are subglottic laryngitis, epiglottitis, aspiration of a foreign body, acute bacterial pneumonia or pneumothorax. History and physical examination should differentiate between the various diseases. ⋯ In case of aspiration of a foreign body, like a peanut, immediate action is needed to prevent irreversible damage to the airways. Subglottic laryngitis and epiglottitis are both characterized by an inspiratory stridor; in case of epiglottitis immediate action is needed, while in case of subglottic laryngitis observation time is available in most cases. Pneumothorax as a cause of acute breathlessness is rare in childhood; it should be considered in male smoking leptosomic asthmatic adolescents.
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Mechanical ventilation in both children and adults is still associated with development of lung injury, both short term and long term. In particular, ventilation with high tidal volumes and low positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEP) contributes significantly to development of lung injury. Suggested preventive measures consist of limiting peak inflation pressures, preventing high tidal volumes, and applying high PEEP to prevent alveolar collapse. ⋯ The degree of inflammation depends on the ventilator settings and mode of ventilation. This inflammatory reaction may not be limited to the lungs but, via inflammatory mediators, may cause multiple organ dysfunction as well. Future research needs to be concentrated on how to modify this ventilator induced inflammatory reaction in order to prevent lung injury as well as systemic injury.
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Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Jan 1999
Review[Re-irradiation with hyperthermia in patients with recurrent breast cancer].
In the Daniel den Hoed Cancer Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, patients with recurrent breast cancer within a previously irradiated area, are treated by application of hyperthermia in addition to reirradiation. In this development, the following issues are important: (a) the choice of an effective and tolerable reirradiation schedule; (b) the establishment of the limitations of the hyperthermia techniques available; (c) the finding that additional hyperthermia has to be applied to the total tissue volume at risk for tumour recurrence; (d) the assessment of the value of additional hyperthermia by a randomised study. ⋯ The treatment is tolerated well, with acceptable toxicity. In patients with recurrent breast cancer in a previously irradiated area, combined reirradiation and hyperthermia is very effective, well tolerated and little toxic.
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Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Dec 1998
Review[Bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of diffuse interstitial lung disease].
Since the introduction of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), this technique is used both clinically and for research. Use of BAL as a diagnostic aid was introduced fairly recently. For the different steps of the procedure a standardized approach has been proposed. ⋯ Smoking and pharmacotherapy affect the results of the analysis. BAL is a safe procedure with hardly any side effects. This method may in some diseases replace more invasive diagnostic procedures such as biopsy by demonstrating characteristic cells or micro-organisms.
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Drowning and near-drowning are major causes of death and neurological damage, respectively, in children. The pathophysiological substrate consists of hypoxia, ischaemia, respiratory and metabolic acidosis and sometimes, hypothermia. Most cases involve aspiration of liquid; this leads to a persistent impairment of the gas exchange. ⋯ The prognosis depends in the first place on the duration of the submersion, which, however, is often difficult to establish. Submersion for over 5 minutes is prognostically unfavourable. In hypothermia due to submersion in ice cold water the prognostic factors are less clear--in these cases the treatment should always be continued until the core temperature is > or = 32 degrees C.