BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialEfficacy and safety of moxifloxacin in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: a prospective, multicenter, observational study (AVANTI).
Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), represent a substantial patient burden. Few data exist on outpatient antibiotic management for AECB/AECOPD in Eastern/South Eastern Europe, in particular on the use of moxifloxacin (Avelox®), although moxifloxacin is widely approved in this region based on evidence from international clinical studies. ⋯ A significant number of patients in this observational study had risk factors for poor outcome, justifying use of moxifloxacin. The safety profile of moxifloxacin and its value as an antibiotic treatment were confirmed. Physicians complied with the recommended 400 mg once-daily dose in a large proportion of patients, confirming the advantages of this simple dosing regimen.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral montelukast in acute asthma exacerbation.
Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) are well established in the management of outpatient asthma. However, there is very little information as to their role in acute asthma exacerbations. We hypothesized that LTRAs may accelerate lung function recovery when given in an acute exacerbation. ⋯ Our study suggests that there is no benefit of addition of oral montelukast over conventional treatment in the management of acute asthma attack.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialEffectiveness of treatment with high-frequency chest wall oscillation in patients with bronchiectasis.
High-frequency airway clearance (HFCWC) assist devices generate either positive or negative trans-respiratory pressure excursions to produce high-frequency, small-volume oscillations in the airways.HFCWC can lead to changes in volume of 15-57 ml and in flow up to 1.6 L/s, which generate minimal coughing to mobilize secretions. The typical treatment lasts 20-30 minutes, and consists of short periods of compression at different frequencies, separated by coughing.The aim of this study was to find the more efficacious treatment in patients with bronchiectasis: traditional techniques of chest physiotherapy (CPT) versus high frequency oscillation of the chest wall in patients with bronchiectasis. ⋯ The HFCWO technique provides an improvement both in pulmonary function and quality of life related parameters in patients with chronic hypersecretive disease. Since those patients need daily airway clearance, this treatment should be included among the principal options in chest physiotherapy. The study was registered as ChiCTR-TRC-12002134 at http://www.chictr.org.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyDifferences in classification of COPD group using COPD assessment test (CAT) or modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scores: a cross-sectional analyses.
The GOLD 2011 document proposed a new classification system for COPD combining symptom assessment by COPD assessment test (CAT) or modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scores, and exacerbation risk. We postulated that classification of COPD would be different by the symptom scale; CAT vs mMRC. ⋯ The classification of COPD produced by the mMRC or CAT score was not identical. Care should be taken when stratifying COPD patients with one symptom scale versus another according to the GOLD 2011 document.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2013
Dyspnea affective response: comparing COPD patients with healthy volunteers and laboratory model with activities of daily living.
Laboratory-induced dyspnea (breathing discomfort) in healthy subjects is widely used to study perceptual mechanisms, yet the relationship between laboratory-induced dyspnea in healthy volunteers and spontaneous dyspnea in patients with chronic lung disease is not well established. We compared affective responses to dyspnea 1) in COPD patients vs. healthy volunteers (HV) undergoing the same laboratory stimulus; 2) in COPD during laboratory dyspnea vs. during activities of daily living (ADL). ⋯ In this pilot study, we found no evidence that a history of COPD alters the affective response to laboratory-induced dyspnea, and no difference in affective response between dyspnea evoked by this laboratory model and dyspnea evoked by ADL.