Search results for "respiratory tract diseases"
showing 10 items of 1015 documents
Do asthmatic smokers benefit as much as non-smokers on budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy? Results of an open label study
2012
SummaryBackgroundStudies with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in smoking asthmatics have mostly shown poorer treatment responses than in non-smoking asthmatics.MethodsEuroSMART, an open, randomised, 6-month study, compared budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort ® Turbuhaler®)hhNeither the Symbicort SMART posology nor the dry powder formulation, Turbuhaler, is currently approved in the US. maintenance and reliever therapy (Symbicort SMART®) at two maintenance doses of budesonide/formoterol (160/4.5 μg), 1 × 2 and 2 × 2, in patients with asthma who were symptomatic despite treatment with ICS ± long-acting β2-agonists. The 8424 randomised patients included 886 smokers (11%; aged <40 years or with a sm…
Pneumonia in Febrile Neutropenic Patients and in Bone Marrow and Blood Stem-Cell Transplant Recipients: Use of High-Resolution Computed Tomography
1999
PURPOSE: To obtain statistical data on the use of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for early detection of pneumonia in febrile neutropenic patients with unknown focus of infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred eighty-eight HRCT studies were performed prospectively in 112 neutropenic patients with fever of unknown origin persisting for more than 48 hours despite empiric antibiotic treatment. Fifty-four of these studies were performed in transplant recipients. All patients had normal chest roentgenograms. If pneumonia was detected by HRCT, guided bronchoalveolar lavage was recommended. Evidence of pneumonia on chest roentgenograms during follow-up and micro-organisms detected…
Use of autobilevel ventilation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: An observational study.
2017
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the first-choice treatment for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing. Automatic bilevel ventilation can be used to treat obstructive sleep-disordered breathing when CPAP is ineffective, but clinical experience is still limited. To assess the outcome of titration with CPAP and automatic bilevel ventilation, the charts of 356 outpatients (obstructive sleep apnea, n = 242; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease + obstructive sleep apnea overlap, n = 80; obesity hypoventilation syndrome [OHS], n = 34; 103 females) treated for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing from January 2014 to April 2017 were reviewed. Positive airway pressure titration was …
Relaxation and cyclic GMP levels in response to sildenafil in human pulmonary arteries from donors.
2005
We measured cyclic GMP formation and relaxation response to sildenafil given either alone or in combination with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in pulmonary arteries obtained from 13 multi-organ donors. Sildenafil (10(-9)-10(-4) M) caused concentration-dependent relaxations and amplified the relaxation induced by SNP. Relaxation was unaffected by endothelium removal or by pre-treatment with the inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase L-NMMA (10(-4) M). SNP (10(-7) M) caused elevation of cyclic GMP levels that was potentiated by sildenafil (10(-6) M). Thus, the enhancement of SNP-induced relaxation by sildenafil is mainly due to an increase in cyclic GMP accumulation.
Paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine combination as induction chemotherapy for stage IIIA N2 bulky non-small cell lung cancer
2005
<i>Background:</i> Induction chemotherapy followed by surgical resection or definitive radiotherapy for patients affected by stage IIIA N2 bulky non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been investigated in several trials. <i>Patients and Methods:</i> In this present study, 52 patients with stage IIIA N2 bulky NSCLC with cytologically or histologically confirmed mediastinal lymph node involvement received paclitaxel 175 mg/mq on day 1, carboplatin AUC 5 on day 1 and gemcitabine 1,000 mg/mq on day 1 and 8 every 3 weeks for three cycles as induction chemotherapy. <i>Results:</i> Objective response (4 complete remission and 36 partial remission) was achieved i…
Metabolomics provide new insights on lung cancer staging and discrimination from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
2014
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are widespread lung diseases. Cigarette smoking is a high risk factor for both the diseases. COPD may increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Thus, it is crucial to be able to distinguish between these two pathological states, especially considering the early stages of lung cancer. Novel diagnostic and monitoring tools are required to properly determine lung cancer progression because this information directly impacts the type of the treatment prescribed. In this study, serum samples collected from 22 COPD and 77 lung cancer (TNM stages I, II, III, and IV) patients were analyzed. Then, a collection of NMR metabolic fingerprin…
Children, parents and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Palermo, Italy: prevention is primary.
2010
A study was conducted to describe the characteristics of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection cases occurring in the season 2006—7 in Palermo, Italy, and to evaluate the parents’ knowledge and behaviours concerning prevention and control of acute respiratory infections (ARIs). All children aged between 0 and 2 years, admitted for a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) between October 2006 and May 2007, were enrolled in the study. Data were collected about demographic and household characteristics. Furthermore, their parents were asked to compile a structured questionnaire on transmission, prevention and management of ARIs in children. A total of 198 children with a diagnosis…
High-frequency oscillatory ventilation and an interventional lung assist device to treat hypoxaemia and hypercapnia
2004
A male patient accidentally aspirated paraffin oil when performing as a fire-eater. Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome ( P a 2 / F 2 ratio 10.7 kPa) developed within 24 h. Conventional pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) with high airway pressures and low tidal volumes failed to improve oxygenation. Hypercapnia ( P a 2 12 kPa) with severe acidosis (pH<7.20) ensued. Treatment with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) and a higher adjusted airway pressure (35 cm H2O) improved the P a 2 / F 2 ratio within 1 h from 10.7 to 22.9 kPa, but the hypercapnia and acidosis continued. Stepwise reduction of the mean airway pressure (26 cm H2O), and oscillating frequencies (3.5 Hz), as …
Airway epithelial dysfunction and mesenchymal transition in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Role of Oct-4
2021
Abstract The airway epithelium is a dynamic tissue that undergoes slow but constant renewal. Dysregulation of airway epithelial function related to cigarette smoke exposure plays an important role in the pathophysiology of COPD. Oct4 is a transcription factor responsible for maintaining cellular self-renewal and regeneration, and CD146 and CD105/Endoglin are adhesion molecules involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, epithelial-mesenchymal-transition and tissue remodeling. Bronchial biopsy specimens (BBs) were obtained from 7 healthy controls (HC) and 10 COPD and subjected to paraffin embedding; BBs from HC were also used for epithelial cell expansion and pHBEC/ALI (air-liquid inter…
Obesity and craniofacial variables in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: comparisons of cephalometric values
2007
AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this paper was to determine the most common craniofacial changes in patients suffering Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) with regards to the degree of obesity. Accordingly, cephalometric data reported in the literature was searched and analyzed.MethodsAfter a careful analysis of the literature from 1990 to 2006, 5 papers with similar procedural criteria were selected. Inclusion criteria were: recruitment of Caucasian patients with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >10 as grouped in non-obese (Body Mass Index – [BMI] < 30)vs. obese (BMI ≥ 30).ResultsA low position of the hyoid bone was present in both groups. In non-obese patients, an increased value of t…