Articles: function.
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Observational Study
Effect of increasing age on the haemodynamic response to thoracic epidural anaesthesia: An observational study.
Sympathetic blockade with thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA) results in circulatory changes and may directly alter cardiac function. Ageing is associated with an impairment of autonomic nervous system control and a deterioration of myocardial diastolic performance. ⋯ When preload is preserved with volume loading, TEA predominantly causes systemic vasodilatation and increases global haemodynamic performance. Indices of left ventricular systolic function do not change, whereas left ventricular and right ventricular diastolic function appears to improve. The effects of TEA on right ventricular systolic function are inconclusive. Although increasing age causes a consistent decline of baseline diastolic function, the cardiovascular response to TEA is not impaired in the elderly.
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Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are involved in the pathogenesis of various lung diseases. This study was designed to determine the possible interactions of these growth factors in the development of COPD. ⋯ Upregulated HGF probably compensated for the reduced levels of VEGF and preserved the pulmonary function in smokers without COPD. By contrast, both HGF and VEGF levels were decreased in smokers with COPD, which likely led to the development of COPD. Thus, the level of HGF relative to that of VEGF may be a reliable indicator of the risk for COPD.
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Neuroborreliosis can cause multiple cranial and peripheral neuropathies; however, involvement of both recurrent laryngeal nerves is rare. We report the case of a 90-year-old man who presented with dysphonia and right upper and lower extremity weakness. His course was complicated by bilateral vocal cord paralysis and respiratory failure requiring tracheostomy. ⋯ The patient received IV ceftriaxone for 2 weeks, followed by complete recovery of motor and vocal function over 2 months. Our case is the third report of bilateral vocal cord paralysis in the literature, and the first one, to our knowledge, presenting with respiratory failure requiring an artificial airway. Physicians should be aware of this unusual complication of neuroborreliosis.
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Yonsei medical journal · Nov 2014
Effects of hippotherapy on gross motor function and functional performance of children with cerebral palsy.
The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of hippotherapy on gross motor function and functional performance in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). ⋯ The results of our study demonstrate the beneficial effects of hippotherapy on gross motor function and functional performance in children with CP compared to control group. The significant improvement in PEDI-FSS scores suggests that hippotherapy may be useful to maximize the functional performance of children with CP.
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Sarcoidosis Vasc Dif · Oct 2014
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialAnalysis of lung function and survival in RECAP: An open-label extension study of pirfenidone in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
RECAP is an open-label extension study evaluating pirfenidone in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who completed the Phase 3 CAPACITY program. ⋯ FVC and survival outcomes in IPF patients newly treated with pirfenidone in RECAP were similar to those in the CAPACITY pirfenidone group. These data provide further evidence to support the use of pirfenidone in patients with IPF.