Variability of the perception of dyspnea in healthy subjects assessed through inspiratory resistive loading.

Objective: Few studies have evaluated the variability of the perception of dyspnea in healthy subjects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the variability of the perception of dyspnea in healthy subjects during breathing against increasing inspiratory resistive loads, as well as to assess the association between the level of perception of dyspnea and the level of physical activity.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving healthy individuals 16 years of age or older.

Characteristics of acute asthma patients attended frequently compared with those attended only occasionally in an emergency department.

Asthma patients that depend on emergency department (ED) services are generally considered to have extremely poor disease control and prognosis. It is important to identify characteristics related to poor disease control and frequent visits to the ED to apply appropriate clinical management. This study comprised a cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients with asthma exacerbation (age > or = 12 years) presenting at the adult ED of a large, tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital over a 2-month period.

Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome at the intensive care unit of a general university hospital in Brazil. An epidemiological study using the American-European Consensus Criteria.

Objectives: To determine: (1) the frequency of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); (2) the mortality associated with these syndromes and (3) the influence of risk factors, comorbidities and organ system dysfunction in the mortality of ALI patients.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Intensive care unit (ICU) of a general university hospital in Brazil.