Severe Lung Disease (severe + lung_disease)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide for detection of cardiovascular stress in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 4 2006
EDMOND VARTANY
Summary Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have an elevated incidence of cardiovascular events that may be related to an increased ventricular load and hypoxemia caused by apneas and hypopneas. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) appears to be an excellent marker of myocardial stretch and could serve as an indicator of subclinical cardiac stress, thereby identifying a patient population at risk for cardiac effects from OSAS. Adult patients presenting with suspected OSAS and scheduled for nocturnal polysomnography were recruited. Patients with heart or renal failure or severe lung disease were excluded. NTproBNP was measured the evening before and the morning after sleep. Blood pressure (BP) was monitored intermittently throughout the night. Fifteen male and 15 female subjects with a mean ± SD body mass index of 38.2 ± 9.8 were studied. Mean Apnea,Hypopnea Index (AHI) was 38.4 ± 26, with 17 subjects having severe OSAS (AHI > 30). No subject had a significant rise in BP. NTproBNP values overnight decreased in 19 patients and rose in 11 (mean change 3.8 ± 33 pg mL,1), but only one patient had an abnormal morning value. Three patients had an abnormal NTproBNP value prior to sleep, but their levels decreased with sleep. No correlations were detected between the evening baseline or postsleep NTproBNP levels and OSAS. Monitoring pre- and postsleep NTproBNP levels revealed no association with the occurrence or degree of OSAS, making it unlikely that NTproBNP could serve as a marker of cardiac stress in OSAS patients with stable BP and without overt heart failure. [source]


Rituximab (B-cell depleting antibody) associated lung injury (RALI): A pediatric case and systematic review of the literature

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 9 2009
Martin Bitzan MD
Abstract Introduction Pulmonary toxicity of delayed onset is a rare complication of B-lymphocyte depleting antibody therapy and has been almost exclusively reported in older patients with B-cell malignancies. Aims To describe a pediatric patient with rituximab-associated lung injury (RALI), to systematically analyze previous reports of pulmonary complications, and to summarize common clinico-pathological features, treatment, and outcome. Results A teenage boy with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) presented with progressive dyspnea, fever, hypoxemia and fatigue 18 days after the completion of a second course of rituximab infusions for calcineurin inhibitor-dependent nephrotic syndrome. Respiratory symptoms started while he received high-dose prednisone for persistent proteinuria. Bilateral, diffuse ground-glass infiltrates corresponded to the presence of inflammatory cells in the bronchioalveolar lavage fluid. Empiric antibiotic treatment including clarithromycin was given, but the microbiological work-up remained negative. Serum IgE, C3, and C4 concentrations were normal. He recovered within 3 weeks after onset. We systematically reviewed 23 reports describing 30 additional cases of rituximab-associated lung disease. Twenty eight patients had received rituximab for B-cell malignancies, one for graft-versus-host disease and one for immune thrombocytopenia. Median age was 64 years (interquartile range [IQR] 58,69 years). Seventy one percent received concomitant chemotherapy. Time to onset from the last rituximab dose was 14 days (IQR 11,22 days). Eleven of 31 patients required mechanical ventilation, and 9 died (29%). Ventilation was a significant predictor of fatal outcome (odds ratio 46.7; confidence interval 9.5,229.9). High dose glucocorticoid therapy did not improve survival or prevent severe lung disease or death. Conclusions With the expanding use of rituximab for novel indications, additional cases of RALI affecting younger age groups are expected to emerge. Mechanical ventilation predicts poor outcome. Glucocorticoids may not be protective. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:922,934. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Lung Function Tests in Neonates and Infants with Chronic Lung Disease: Global and Regional Ventilation Inhomogeneity

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
J. Jane Pillow FRACP
Abstract This review considers measurement of global and regional ventilation inhomogeneity (VI) in infants and young children with acute neonatal respiratory disorders and chronic lung disease of infancy (CLDI). We focus primarily on multiple-breath inert gas washout (MBW) and electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The literature is critically reviewed and the relevant methods, equipment, and studies are summarized, including the limitations and strengths of individual techniques, together with the availability and appropriateness of any reference data. There has been a recent resurgence of interest in using MBW to monitor lung function within individuals and between different groups. In the mechanically ventilated, sedated, and paralyzed patient, VI indices can identify serial changes occurring following exogenous surfactant. Similarly, global VI indices appear to be increased in infants with CLDI and to differentiate between infants without lung disease and those with mild, moderate, and severe lung disease following preterm birth. While EIT is a relatively new technique, recent studies suggest that it is feasible in newborn infants, and can quantitatively identify changes in regional lung ventilation following alterations to ventilator settings, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP), and administration of treatments such as surfactant. As such, EIT represents one of the more exciting prospects for continuous bedside pulmonary monitoring. For both techniques, there is an urgent need to establish guidelines regarding data collection, analysis, and interpretation in infants both with and without CLDI. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Presence of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes mellitus is tightly linked to poor lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis: Data from the European Epidemiologic Registry of Cystic Fibrosis

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 5 2001
C. Koch MD
Abstract Data derived from a cross-sectional analysis of 7,566 patients stratified into six age groups were used to compare lung function, body mass index (BMI), and weight for age in patients with and without cystic fibrosis-related diabetes mellitus (CFDM). The presence of CFDM was tightly linked to poor lung function, regardless of age. The mean value of FEV1 % predicted in the age groups,<,10, 10,<,15, 15,<,20, 20,<,25, 25,<,30, and 30 years or older were 87%, 77%, 69%, 58%, 55%, and 53% in the nondiabetic cystic fibrosis (CF) patients as compared to 79%, 66%, 55%, 49%, 46%, and 44% in the diabetic CF patients. BMI and weight for age were also lower in diabetic than nondiabetic CF patients in all age groups, except for BMI in the youngest patients. The difference in lung function and in nutritional parameters between diabetic and nondiabetic CF patients was not linked to presence or absence of any specific pathogen in the lower respiratory tract. These results confirm and extend those of earlier studies in smaller numbers of patients, and they clearly identify CFDM as a powerful determinant of severe lung disease and reduced survival in patients with CF and diabetis mellitus. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2001; 32:343,350. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Industry-wide medical surveillance of California flavor manufacturing workers: Cross-sectional results

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2010
Thomas J. Kim MD
Abstract Background Two cases of bronchiolitis obliterans in flavor manufacturing workers prompted California health and labor agencies to initiate industry-wide surveillance. Methods Companies' physicians submitted cross-sectional questionnaire and spirometry data for 467 workers in 16 workplaces. We compared prevalence ratios of respiratory symptoms, diagnoses, and abnormal spirometry to a general population sample. We calculated odds ratios for risk factors for spirometric obstructive abnormality. Results Flavoring workers were 2.7 times more likely than the general population to have severe airways obstruction. Risk factors identified for 18 cases with obstruction from six companies included younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, liquid and powder production work, greater company diacetyl usage, and having a coworker with obstruction. Severity of obstruction was related to tenure. At least 12 workers had probable occupational fixed airways obstruction. Conclusions The flavoring industry risk of severe lung disease justifies lowering flavoring exposures and medical screening for secondary prevention until worker safety is demonstrated. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:857,865, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]