Respiratory care
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Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) as a bridge to lung transplantation is increasingly used, but information on long-term outcome is scarce. We aim to summarize our experience with an emphasis on health-related quality of life. Secondary outcomes include ICU and hospital stay and pre- and post-transplant mortality. ⋯ ECLS can be used as a bridge to lung transplantation. A significant number of subjects were not bridged successfully due to different reasons. Outcomes after successful transplantation after ECLS might be comparable with the general population undergoing lung transplantation in terms of quality of life, lung function, performance tests, and mortality, although ICU and hospital stay are longer.
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The primary goals of this study were to evaluate early changes in pulmonary function and retrobulbar hemodynamics and to examine the correlation between these parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes during the preclinical stages of diabetic retinopathy. ⋯ Pulmonary function and retrobulbar hemodynamics changed during the preclinical stages of diabetic retinopathy. Regulating glycemia may improve retrobulbar hemodynamics in the retrobulbar arteries (ie, central retinal artery, posterior ciliary artery, and arteria ophthalmica). By detecting the retrobulbar resistivity index and the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, we could predict future changes in pulmonary function during the preclinical stages of diabetic retinopathy as well as the degree of retinopathy. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT02774733.).
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The fundamental goals of mechanical ventilation are to improve pulmonary gas exchange and relieve respiratory distress, thus permitting lung and airway healing, while at the same time lessening the risk for iatrogenic complications. This review will summarize some of the advances in mechanical ventilation in 2016, with a particular focus on ventilator-associated clinical challenges and outcomes.
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Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is an important modality in clinical practice and is extensively studied. The growth of literature related to NIV over the past 20 years has made it difficult for clinicians to stay up to date with current best practice. This article will summarize some of the important NIV literature published in 2016 and describe any impact it may have related to the clinical use of NIV.
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Comparative Study
Spiritual Well-Being and Correlated Factors in Subjects With Advanced COPD or Lung Cancer.
Spiritual care for patients with COPD has rarely been discussed, and thus much remains unknown about their needs. The aims of this study were to identify the factors associated with spiritual well-being and to compare the levels of spiritual well-being between subjects with advanced COPD and those with inoperable lung cancer. ⋯ These results suggest that subjects with advanced COPD experience spiritual well-being similar to that of subjects with inoperable lung cancer.