Respiratory care
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There is growing evidence that exercise-induced variation in lung volumes is an important source of ventilatory limitation and is linked to exercise intolerance in COPD. The aim of this study was to compare the correlations of walk distance and lung volumes measured before and after a 6-min walk test (6MWT) in subjects with COPD. ⋯ In subjects with stable COPD, lung volumes measured immediately after 6MWT are more closely related to exercise limitation than baseline lung volumes measured before 6MWT, except for FEV1. Therefore, pulmonary function testing immediately after exercise should be included in future studies on COPD for the assessment of exercise-induced ventilatory constraints to physical performance that cannot be adequately assessed from baseline pulmonary function testing at rest.
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Heliox, a helium-oxygen gas mixture, has been used for many decades to treat obstructive pulmonary disease. The lower density and higher viscosity of heliox relative to nitrogen-oxygen mixtures can significantly reduce airway resistance when an anatomic upper air-flow obstruction is present and gas flow is turbulent. Clinically, heliox can decrease airway resistance in acute asthma in adults and children and in COPD. ⋯ Respiratory syndromes caused by coronavirus infections in humans range in severity from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome associated with human coronavirus OC43 and other viral strains. In infants, coronavirus infection can cause bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia in variable combinations and can produce enough air-flow obstruction to cause respiratory failure. We describe a case of coronavirus OC43 infection in an infant with severe acute respiratory distress treated with heliox inhalation to avoid intubation.
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The aim of this study was to assess the different methods of percutaneous tracheostomy in terms of successful performance of the tracheostomy as well as safety. Tracheostomy is the most common procedure performed on the airway for patients in ICUs. Lately, several methods of percutaneous tracheostomy (multiple dilator, progressive dilator, forceps dilation, screw-like dilation, balloon dilation, and translaryngeal) have been described, with theoretical advantages, but there is no consensus about which is better. ⋯ The Blue Rhino method is less difficult and has more minor bleeding events, but physicians also have more experience with this technique. However, trials are underpowered to define the best method.
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Comparative Study
An Innovative Childhood Asthma Score Predicts the Need for Bronchodilator Nebulization in Children With Acute Asthma Independent of Auscultative Findings.
We sought to compare the accuracy of a newly developed childhood asthma score (CAS) with routine clinical assessment of respiratory status in children with acute asthma in predicting requirements for bronchodilator nebulization. ⋯ Using a cutoff value of 4, the newly developed CAS accurately predicts the requirement for bronchodilator nebulization in children with acute asthma without use of auscultative findings.
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The significance of changes in P(aCO2) during long-term noninvasive ventilation (NIV) on prognosis remains unclear. We aimed to clarify whether stabilizing P(aCO2) during NIV had a favorable prognostic effect. ⋯ A decrease in the annual change of P(aCO2) during long-term NIV was shown to be a significantly prognostically favorable factor. Efforts to reduce P(aCO2) should be made if P(aCO2) increases at a greater rate during long-term NIV.