Search results for "RESPIRATORY SYSTEM"
showing 10 items of 1829 documents
Amiodarone Pneumonitis
1992
Amiodarone (Am) pneumonitis is currently a common and potentially severe adverse reaction, the accurate diagnosis of which remains difficult to establish. Objectives: To determine the contribution of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the diagnostic workup of patients suspected of having Am pneumonitis. Methods: Diagnosis of Am pneumonitis was established on the basis of (1) development of recent symptoms and pulmonary opacities while receiving the drug, (2) exclusion of other possible causes, and (3) improvement following cessation of Am and/or steroid therapy. (4) Confirmatory changes were obtained by histopathologic examination in eight cases. BAL was performed in each patient at the time o…
Eligibility of real-life patients with copd for inclusion in rcts: A commentary
2017
Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are performed to provide evidence to support treatment decisions. Based on the nature of those studies and the need to avoid confounding factors, it has been argued that the population selected in RCTs only partially represents the real-life population. This assumption casts doubts on the applicability of the results provided by RCTs in the management of individuals with an established diagnosis of COPD, and advocates the need for complementary studies with a pragmatic design. Herein, we comment on the recent article published by Halpin and colleagues on the Journal [Halpin et al, Respir Res 17:120, 2016], in which higher rates of inclusions in RCTs for COP…
Oropharyngeal dysphagia: when swallowing disorders meet respiratory diseases
2017
We were very interested in the comments made by I. Cavedies and co-workers regarding our paper entitled “Oropharyngeal dysphagia: when swallowing disorders meet respiratory diseases” [1].
The value of FeNO measurement in childhood asthma: uncertainties and perspectives
2013
Asthma is considered an heterogeneous disease, requiring multiple biomarkers for diagnosis and management. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide in exhaled breath (FeNO) was the first useful non-invasive marker of airway inflammation in asthma and still is the most widely used. The non-invasive nature and the relatively easy use of FeNO technique make it an interesting tool to monitor airway inflammation and rationalize corticosteroid therapy in asthmatic patients, together with the traditional clinical tools (history, physical examination and lung function tests), even if some controversies have been published regarding the use of FeNO to support the management of asthma in children. The problem…
Haemoptysis: a frequent diagnostic challenge
2015
We appreciate and agree with the comments of M. Mondoni and colleagues, that the results of the ongoing prospective Italian multicentre trial ([www.ClinicalTrial.gov][1] identifier [NCT02045394][2]) will be of considerable interest for the management of haemoptysis, a frequent and severe symptom, especially since there is no clear consensus concerning aetiology and treatment. Interestingly, beyond determining the prevalence of diseases that may present with haemoptysis, their epidemiological results will be analysed according to the severity of the symptom. More importantly, their trial will hopefully make it possible to analyse the sensitivity and specificity of complementary tests, such a…
Zytopathologische Ergussdiagnostik in der berufsgenossenschaftlichen Begutachtung von Asbest-assoziierten malignen Mesotheliomen und Lungenkarzinomen
2014
Pleural effusion often represents the first clinical symptom of lung carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma. As pleural punctation is performed quite early in the diagnostic procedure, effusion cytology frequently gives the first evidence about the presence of tumour cells and tumor histogenesis. In this study, we report on seven cases which were evaluated in our institution for the Employers' Liability Insurance Association, based solely on cytology findings.The mean age of the seven patients with a given long-term asbestos exposure during their working life was 81.7 years. On average eight smears per patient were investigated. In addition to routine cytology, immunocytochemistry, DNA image …
Reliability of automatic detection of AHI during positive airway pressure treatment in obstructive sleep apnea patients: A “real-life study”
2021
Introduction: Automatic event detection (AED) of residual apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) by ventilators is a current practice in sleep and mechanical ventilation Units but this methodology has not been validated in an unselected population of OSA patients. Aim of the present study was to assess in a “real-life” condition the reliability of AED during PAP therapy by the in-built software compared to full polysomnography during follow-up. Methods: We enrolled 300 OSA patients (105 F; AHI 45.3 ± 27.8) already on Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy: 53% of the patients were on CPAP while other modalities were used in the rest of the sample. Results: Overall, the built-in software identified resi…
Eosinophilic and Noneosinophilic Asthma
2021
Background Phenotypic characteristics of patients with eosinophilic and noneosinophilic asthma are not well characterized in global, real-life severe asthma cohorts. Research Question What is the prevalence of eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes in the population with severe asthma, and can these phenotypes be differentiated by clinical and biomarker variables? Study Design and Methods This was an historical registry study. Adult patients with severe asthma and available blood eosinophil count (BEC) from 11 countries enrolled in the International Severe Asthma Registry (January 1, 2015-September 30, 2019) were categorized according to likelihood of eosinophilic phenotype using a pre…
Survival and quality of life after early discharge in low-risk pulmonary embolism.
2020
IntroductionEarly discharge of patients with acute low-risk pulmonary embolism requires validation by prospective trials with clinical and quality-of-life outcomes.MethodsThe multinational Home Treatment of Patients with Low-Risk Pulmonary Embolism with the Oral Factor Xa Inhibitor Rivaroxaban (HoT-PE) single-arm management trial investigated early discharge followed by ambulatory treatment with rivaroxaban. The study was stopped for efficacy after the positive results of the predefined interim analysis at 50% of the planned population. The present analysis includes the entire trial population (576 patients). In addition to 3-month recurrence (primary outcome) and 1-year overall mortality, …
The impact of SARS-COV2 pandemic on the management oF IPF patients: Our narrative experience
2021
Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed the health-care systems around the world in a remarkable way. We describe the strategies adopted to cope with the limitations imposed by the pandemic to the access to health care by patients diagnosed with idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Material and methods We conducted a retrospective observational analysis including IPF patients under antifibrotic drugs (nintedanib and pirfenidone) that accessed to the Outpatient clinic of the University of Palermo, Italy. Patients received a phone number and an email address in case of any urgency and a virtual meeting was settled up monthly. Results 40 patients (M/F: 30/10) were followed up, …