[Is helium beneficial in a pulmonary rehabilitation program for severe COPD?].

Unlabelled: Helium is known to reduce airflow limitation. Our hypothesis was that severe COPD patients undertaking exercise would show greater improvement in endurance under a heliox mixture (80/20%) than under air alone. This hypothesis was tested in a double-blinded, randomized study.

[Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with mandibular advancement appliances].

Mandibular advancement device provide a therapeutic option for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Clinical improvement has been proven in the different available studies, mainly on nocturnal respiratory events and quality of sleep. Less snoring have been noted by bed partners and objective studies have demonstrated a decrease in snoring frequency and intensity.

[Mandibular advancement orthoses used in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].

Mandibular advancement devices represent a therapeutic option for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Clinical improvement has been proven in the different available studies, mainly on nocturnal respiratory events and quality of sleep. Less snoring have been noted by bed partners and objective studies have demonstrated decrease in snoring frequency and intensity.

[Mandibular advancement orthotic for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea].

Mandibular advancement devices represent a therapeutic option for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Clinical improvement has been proved in the different available studies, mainly on nocturnal respiratory events and quality of sleep. Less snoring have been noted by bed partners and objective studies have demonstrated decrease in snoring frequency and intensity.

Changing ventilator: An option to take into account in the treatment of persistent vomiting during nasal ventilation.

Problems related with nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) are nasal and mouth dryness, soreness on the bridge of the nose, eye irritation and epistaxis. Gastrointestinal distention due to air swallowing has been reported in half of the patients. Acceleration of digestive function with drugs or reduction of the volume delivered to alleviate gastric distension are considered as the conventional treatment.

[An early detection program for respiratory insufficiency in Duchenne's disease: the preliminary results].

Noninvasive mechanical ventilation through a nasal mask is a recently introduced therapeutic tool that represents a noteworthy advance in home treatment for patients with respiratory insufficiency secondary to ventilatory pump failure. We present the preliminary results of a program for early detection of respiratory insufficiency in patients with Duchenne's disease. Sixteen patients (mean age 15.

[Ambulatory oxygen therapy via a transtracheal catheter].

Oxygen therapy by transtracheal catheter (TTC), as described by Heimlich in 1982, was originally conceived to conserve oxygen but later proved to be truly useful as a treatment for chronic respiratory insufficiency, although the technique is little used in Spain. We conducted a one-year long prospective study of 10 patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency in whom a TTC was placed for ambulatory oxygen therapy. Complications appearing were bloody expectoration (100%), granulomas at the site of incision (20%) and accidental extubation (10%).

[Home mechanical ventilation by nasal mask in a patient with Duchenne's disease].

The clinical course of Duchenne's dystrophy is characterized by respiratory insufficiency secondary to failure of the breathing pump. Up to ten years ago, this respiratory insufficiency was corrected by mechanical ventilation via a tracheostomy. In recent years, nasal mechanical ventilation has been a considerable advance in the treatment of these patients' respiratory problems.

[Home mechanical ventilation in neuromuscular diseases].

In most patients with neuromuscular disorders, respiratory insufficiency and problems arising from this are what determine whether or not they survive. Treatment for failure of the respiratory pump by mechanical ventilation in the patient's own home has become more common thanks to the advent of non-invasive methods of treatment such as the nasal mask. Home mechanical ventilation has improved both the survival rate and the quality of life of many of these patients.

[Portable oxygen therapy in the Madrid area].

Portable oxygen therapy using liquid oxygen has been available in the Madrid area since 1992 as part of a government program. The prescription of liquid oxygen theoretically requires the careful selection of patients who will benefit from a portable source of oxygen, as well as the performance of a series of treadmill tests with and without supplemental oxygen in order to assess the benefit derived from this expensive means of delivering therapy. As no studies had been done of whether these criteria for prescribing liquid oxygen were being met, we conducted telephone interviews with patients residing in the Madrid area who had portable oxygen sources at their disposal.