Thorax
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomised trial of CPAP vs bilevel support in the treatment of obesity hypoventilation syndrome without severe nocturnal desaturation.
Untreated, obesity hypoventilation is associated with significant use of health care resources and high mortality. It remains unclear whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel ventilatory support (BVS) should be used as initial management. The aim of this study was to determine if one form of positive pressure is superior to the other in improving daytime respiratory failure. ⋯ Both CPAP and BVS appear to be equally effective in improving daytime hypercapnia in a subgroup of patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome without severe nocturnal hypoxaemia.
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Lack of response to treatment in community acquired pneumonia (CAP) worsens outcome. We evaluated the systemic cytokine profile (tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)1, IL6, IL8 and IL10), C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with CAP who had treatment failure. ⋯ Serum levels of CRP, IL6 and PCT on days 1 and 3 were independently associated with a higher risk of any treatment failure. Low levels of PCT and CRP on day 1 had a high negative predictive value for early failure.
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We report the simultaneous occurrence of lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis and pulmonary embolism in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot and common variable immunodeficiency. An explanation based on the pathogenesis of these diseases is proposed to explain this "unfortunate coincidence".
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Editorial Comment
Short course of antibiotic treatment in acute exacerbations of COPD.
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The diagnostic accuracy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for the diagnosis of lymphoma in patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy is not well defined. ⋯ EBUS-TBNA is an accurate, safe and useful tool in the investigation of suspected lymphoma with isolated mediastinal adenopathy, and may diminish the need for more invasive procedures such as mediastinoscopy.