[Sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome without excessive daytime sleepiness].

Nowadays, sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is understandable. It is somewhat more difficult to explain why most patients with SAHS enrolled in epidemiologic studies, even those with a high apnea-hypopnea index, do not experience excessive daytime sleepiness. The reasons for this discrepancy lie beyond mere polysomnographic events.

Time to desaturation in the 6-min walking distance test predicts 24-hour oximetry in COPD patients with a PO2 between 60 and 70mmHg.

Background: The 6-min walking distance (6MWD) test is a useful tool for assessing patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but little is known about the changes in oxygen saturation that occur during the test.

Objective: To predict the oximetry profile during daily living activities by the time to desaturation in the 6MWD test in COPD-affected patients.

Patients And Methods: We studied 67 COPD patients with moderate hypoxemia performing a 6MWD test and a 24-hour ambulatory pulse oximetry (24-hr PO).

[Effect of intravenous magnesium sulfate on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations requiring hospitalization: a randomized placebo-controlled trial].

Objective: Magnesium sulfate has been shown to have a bronchodilating effect in asthma, but this effect has not been clearly established in the context of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For this reason we investigated the possible bronchodilating effect of magnesium sulfate in COPD exacerbations.

Patients And Methods: We studied 24 patients with exacerbated COPD who required admission to our hospital's pneumology department.