Pulmonary hypertension in the neonate requires treatment with oxygen and positive pressure ventilation, both known to induce lung injury. The direct response of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, the most abundant cells in the artery wall, to the stress of positive pressure and hyperoxia has not been previously studied. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells were cultured in temperature- and pressure-controlled air-tight chambers under conditions of positive pressure or hyperoxia for 24 h.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is one of the most frequent forms of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and can be used as rescue therapy in patients with severe respiratory failure resulting from burns and/or smoke inhalation injury. Experience and literature on this treatment option is still very limited, consequently results are varied. We report a retrospective analysis of our experience with veno-venous (VV) ECMO in burn patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study is to determine the effect of illicit drug and alcohol dependencies on mortality, length of stay, and complications in patients who have been supported with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) following respiratory failure not responsive to conventional methods of ventilation. 584 VV-ECMO referrals received at Wythenshawe Hospital were reviewed for evidence of drug dependency. 13 patients were identified as being drug-dependent and having undergone treatment with VV-ECMO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Currently, neurologists may primarily rely on blood biomarkers, muscle biopsy, MRI, and genetics in the diagnostic work-up of suspected myopathy. Using expert consensus as diagnostic reference standard, this study addressed the added value of electrodiagnostic medicine (EDX) in diagnosis of myopathies.
Methods: One hundred ninety-four EDX evaluations of patients with a peer-review consensus diagnosis of myopathy were collected by seven European centres.