New combinational assay using soluble fibrin and d-dimer determinations: a promising strategy for identifying patients with suspected venous thromboembolism.

Aim: To establish a new and reliable assay for quantification of the soluble fibrin (SF) in combination with that of D-dimer for early diagnosis of venous thromboembolism.

Methods And Samples: The SF assay is based on D-dimer generated after incubation of plasma with tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). SF and standard D-dimer assays, run in blind, were used to test 119 untreated outpatients with clinically suspected deep-vein thrombosis (DVT, 49 patients) or pulmonary embolism (PE, 70 patients) consulting at the emergency unit of the hospital.

[Influence of nutritional status on development of nosocomial pneumonia in case of acute decompensation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases].

Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the incidence of nutritional status on the development of nosocomial pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffering an acute episode of respiratory failure requiring ventilatory assistance.

Patients And Methods: The study included 48 patients with COPD who were hospitalized in an intensive care unit for acute respiratory failure requiring ventilatory assistance. Nutritional status was assessed within 24 hours of admission to the intensive care unit.

[Body composition in chronic obstructive lung patients. Comparison of bioelectric impedance and anthropometry].

Malnutrition is associated with poor prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Body weight is not a reliable evaluation criterium. Body composition which is more useful can be determined routinely using 2 techniques: skinfold thickness anthropometry (Ant) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).

Bioelectrical impedance analysis in estimating nutritional status and outcome of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute respiratory failure.

Objective: To evaluate bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in estimating the nutritional status and outcome of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory failure (ARF) in comparison with measurements of anthropometric parameters and plasma levels of visceral proteins.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: A ten-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in a university teaching hospital.

Role of the thermic effect of food in malnutrition of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Malnutrition in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is classically ascribed to an increased resting energy expenditure (REE) secondary to high cost of breathing. However, malnutrition correlates only weakly with the severity of respiratory dysfunction, which suggests other mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to determine the possible role of diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).