Respiratory care
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Carefully designed educational programs can improve asthma knowledge, management practices, and health outcomes. We used pre-post testing to determine if the curriculum provided in the Girl Scouts of the USA Asthma Awareness Patch Program improved recipients' knowledge of basic respiratory system function, asthma pathophysiology, triggers, and asthma exacerbation recognition and management. We hypothesized that participants would have improved post-test scores following an interactive asthma educational program. ⋯ The assessment tool demonstrated moderate internal reliability. Participation in the program enhanced participants' knowledge of lung function, trigger identification, asthma pathophysiology, and treatment.
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Foreign body aspiration into the lower airway is rare in adults, and typically occurs in individuals of advanced age or with underlying neurological or medical conditions. The most common type of lower airway foreign body is organic substances, in particular chicken or fish bones. In many patients a history of an acute choking event is not found, and symptoms are non-specific and may be attributed to other medical conditions. Herein we report the unique case of an 80-year-old Chinese woman who aspirated a fish fin that was undiagnosed for 3 years.
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The introduction of reduced respiratory care may lead to worse long-term outcomes for patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) for more than 21 days. The objective of this study was to determine the survival for an integrated system of reduced intensive respiratory care (ISRIRC) by the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance, in patients requiring PMV. ⋯ With the improvement of PMV technology in the early 2000s, the establishment of ISRIRC seems to be associated with an improved survival rate for subjects under PMV.
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Single-set resistance training (SSRT) improves strength and function in older adults with COPD. However, its effect on quality of life (QOL) has not been evaluated. This study evaluated the effect of SSRT on QOL in COPD patients enrolled in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and identified relationships between muscular strength, endurance and QOL. ⋯ The addition of SSRT to traditional PR does not affect overall improvements in QOL that are influenced primarily by an increase in upper body strength. Our findings suggest a threshold effect for exercise training, such that, once a threshold stimulus has been achieved, further improvements in QOL are not dose-dependent.