Search results for " Intensive Care Medicine"

Deep inspiration-induced bronchoprotection is stronger than bronchodilation

2000

We have previously shown that in healthy subjects, deep inspiration (DI) has not only a bronchodilatory but also a bronchoprotective effect that is absent in asthmatic subjects. We conducted the study reported here to test the hypothesis that the bronchoprotective effect is stronger than the bronchodilatory effect, and to determine the extent to which these two effects are related. Ten healthy subjects underwent provocations in which single doses of methacholine, previously shown to reduce FEV(1) by 10% to 20% (Dose 1) and by 20% to 40% (Dose 2) were administered after a 20-min period devoid of DI. To measure the bronchodilator effect, DIs were performed immediately after the first spiromet…

Aging and Disability Affect Misdiagnosis of COPD in Elderly Asthmatics

2003

Study objectives: This study investigated to what extent a diagnosis of COPD is erroneously made or the disease remains unrecognized in elderly asthmatic patients, and identified factors leading to misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of asthma in such patients. Design: A multicenter study involving 24 Italian pulmonary or geriatric institutions. Patients: One hundred twenty-eight asthmatic patients (98 women, 76.6%) aged 73 6.4 years (mean SD) were selected from the cohort of the Salute Respiratoria nell’Anziano (respiratory health in the elderly) study. Methods: All patients underwent a clinical evaluation that included clinical history and spirometry with a bronchodilator test. A diagnosis of…

Quality Control of Spirometry in the Elderly

2000

We evaluated the outcome of the spirometry quality control program of the SA.R.A. multicenter project, the aim of which is the multidimensional assessment of asthma and COPD in the elderly ( ⩾ 65 yr). The factors determining this quality were also evaluated. The program was based on standardized procedures (ATS recommendations), performed by specifically trained and certified personnel; a fully-computerized spirometer with customized software was used for spirometry. A reference center made monthly controls. Overall, 638 cases and 984 controls were examined. Spirometric measurements were obtained in 607 cases and 912 controls; 508 and 747 tests with at least three acceptable curves were obt…

Asthma in the Elderly

2007

Background There is a distinct lack of information on the prognosis of asthma in the elderly. Methods In order to compare mortality rates of elderly people with and without asthma and to identify mortality risk factors in those with asthma, 1,233 ambulatory patients aged ≥ 65 years with a diagnosis of asthma (n = 210) or chronic nonrespiratory conditions (n = 1,023) were enrolled in a multicentric study. Patients underwent baseline spirometry and multidimensional assessment and were then followed up for a mean of 57.9 months (SD 16.9). We compared mortality rates in the two groups and identified predictors of death using multivariable survival analysis. Results The 5-year mortality rate in …

Airway Responsiveness to Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate and Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measurements

2003

Objectives To investigate the utility of the determination of airway responsiveness to inhaled adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP) and exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) levels as markers for safely reducing the dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with asthma well controlled with a moderately high ICS dose. Methods A total of 37 patients with asthma well controlled for at least 3 months by treatment with a moderately high ICS dose (beclomethasone dipropionate, 500 to 1,000 μg or equivalent daily) were included in the study. Patients were treated for a 2-week run-in (baseline) period with their usual dose of ICS. For the next 12 weeks, patients were treated with ICS at half the previous d…

Maximal Response Plateau to Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate in Asthma

2009

Background No information is available on the plateau in response to adenosine 5′-monophosphate. The aims of the present study were to determine whether plateau can be detected with AMP and the relation with the plateau in response to methacholine, and to identify the relation between the plateau and indirect markers of airway inflammation, such as exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) pH. Methods Airway responsiveness to high concentrations of methacholine and AMP, ENO levels, and EBC pH values were obtained in 31 subjects with well-controlled asthma. Concentration-response curves were characterized by their concentration of agonist that produces a decrease in FEV …

Aging on Quality of Spirometry

2004

Long-Term Oxygen Therapy

1994

A Controversial Research Approach: How a Polymer Coated Nanoceria-Based System Can Have Antibacterial Behavior

2016

Exploring Associations Between Respiratory Mechanics and Survival in Immunocompromised Patients With ARDS.

2020

Thanks to improvements in organ support strategies and to advances in the treatment of solid and hematological tumors, outcome of immunocompromised patients requiring ICU admission has improved impressively over the last decade . For this reason, the number of immunocompromised patients admitted to the ICU and deemed candidates for invasive therapies is steadily increasing. Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is the leading cause of hospital and ICU admission, but the optimal first-line reatment of respiratory failure in these patients remains to be determined