The role of arterial blood gases, exercise testing, and cardiac examination in asthma.

The severity of bronchial asthma may not be assessed easily in some patients using the current evaluation methods. In this study, we aimed to obtain more objective and detailed data in evaluating patients with stable mild and moderate bronchial asthma and to validate the current parameters against more objective ones in determining the disease severity. One-hundred six stable patients with bronchial asthma were included in the study.

Factors affecting survival of hospitalised patients with COPD.

Factors determining in-hospital mortality and long-term survival of patients hospitalised with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are not precisely understood. The aim of the present study was to assess the parameters related to in-hospital mortality and long-term survival after hospitalisation of patients with AECOPD. Clinical and epidemiological parameters on admission in 205 consecutive patients hospitalised with AECOPD were prospectively assessed.

[The principles of mechanical ventilation in ARDS].

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a real challenge for the pulmonary and critical care physicians. Although it is quite frequently encountered in intensive care clinics, its diagnosis and treatment bare many variations among the clinicians. Since ARDS is a fully dynamic process, there is no uniform application of mechanical ventilation (MV) being one of the inevitable components of ARDS management.

[The cost of treatment in new case and multidrug resistant case in pulmonary tuberculosis].

The treatment of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-Tbc) is quite difficult, and the disease has high morbidity and mortality rates. This study was designed to compare the costs of treatment in new tuberculosis (new-Tbc) cases and MDR-Tbc cases. Data base of the study was composed of the data from therapy principles of new-Tbc cases and MDR-Tbc, and official directives and price lists of Turkish Pharmacology Society in 2001 fiscal year regulating treatment costs.

[Acute oxygen treatment].

Oxygen treatment is commonly used in clinical practice. Although this treatment was taught during medical education under different titles, it is observed that doctors do not administer oxygen treatment in adequate periods and doses. The possible cause of this may be that oxygen is not considered as a drug.