Successful Treatment of Protein-Losing Enteropathy and Plastic Bronchitis by Biphasic Cuirass Ventilation in a Patient with Failing Fontan Circulation
We present a 16-year-old male patient with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who developed protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) and plastic bronchitis (PB) after a Fontan operation. He received medical therapies, including albumin infusion, unfractionated heparin, and high-dose anti-aldosterone therapy but could not obtain clinical [...]
Iron lung versus mask ventilation in acute exacerbation of COPD: a randomised crossover study
OBJECTIVE:To compare iron lung (ILV) versus mask ventilation (NPPV) in the treatment of COPD patients with acute on chronic respiratory failure (ACRF). DESIGN:Randomised multicentre study. SETTING:Respiratory intermediate intensive care units very skilled in ILV. PATIENTS AND METHODS:A total of 141 patients met [...]
Long-term ventilation of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: experiences at the Neuromuscular Centre Ulm
The various measures used to treat the symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), i.e. medication with steroids, early operation on contractures and spine deformities as well as cardiac diagnostics and therapy, should always be accompanied by careful monitoring of the patient's respiratory [...]
Effectiveness of Cough Assist Device in Exercise Capacity in COPD Patients
Coughing is the body’s defense mechanism to clear the airways from the foreign bodies and secretions. In patients with neuromuscular disorders or other diseases affecting the airways such as cystic fibrosis (CF), the effectiveness of this defense mechanism is often reduced due [...]
Many neurological diseases may cause acute respiratory failure (ARF) due to involvement of bulbar respiratory center, spinal cord, motoneurons, peripheral nerves, neuromuscular junction, or skeletal muscles. In this context, respiratory emergencies are often a challenge at home, in a neurology [...]
Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation leading to 20-minutes breath-hold potentially useful for radiation treatments
We developed a training protocol based on Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation in order to prolong breath-hold while nearly suppressing the thorax motion. This protocol allowed ten subjects to achieve a 20-minutes-breath-hold, while reducing the residual surface motion to 1 mm around its mean [...]