2022 Brazilian Thoracic Association recommendations for long-term home oxygen therapy.

Some chronic respiratory diseases can cause hypoxemia and, in such cases, long-term home oxygen therapy (LTOT) is indicated as a treatment option primarily to improve patient quality of life and life expectancy. Home oxygen has been used for more than 70 years, and support for LTOT is based on two studies from the 1980s that demonstrated that oxygen use improves survival in patients with COPD. There is evidence that LTOT has other beneficial effects such as improved cognitive function, improved exercise capacity, and reduced hospitalizations.

Brazilian Thoracic Association Consensus on Sleep-disordered Breathing.

Sleep is essential for the proper functioning of all individuals. Sleep-disordered breathing can occur at any age and is a common reason for medical visits. The objective of this consensus is to update knowledge about the main causes of sleep-disordered breathing in adult and pediatric populations, with an emphasis on obstructive sleep apnea.

Using the No-Apnea score to screen for obstructive sleep apnea in adults referred to a sleep laboratory: comparative study of the performance of the instrument by gender.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the No-Apnea score, a simplified screening instrument for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), by gender.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including adults undergoing full polysomnography. The No-Apnea model comprises two items (neck circumference and age) with a total score of 0 to 9.

Validation of the STOP-Bang questionnaire as a means of screening for obstructive sleep apnea in adults in Brazil.

Objective: To validate the Portuguese-language version of the STOP-Bang (acronym for Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, high blood Pressure, Body mass index, Age, Neck circumference, and Gender) questionnaire, culturally adapted for use in Brazil, as a means of screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults.

Methods: In this validation study, we enrolled patients ≥ 18 years of age, recruited between May of 2015 and November of 2016. All patients completed the STOP-Bang questionnaire and underwent overnight polysomnography.

Factors predictive of obstructive sleep apnea in patients undergoing pre-operative evaluation for bariatric surgery and referred to a sleep laboratory for polysomnography.

Objective: To identify the main predictive factors for obtaining a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients awaiting bariatric surgery.

Methods: Retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing pre-operative evaluation for bariatric surgery and referred for in-laboratory polysomnography. Eight variables were evaluated: sex, age, neck circumference (NC), BMI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score, snoring, observed apnea, and hypertension.

[Consequences of untreated snoring].

In some studies, snoring has been associated with an increased risk of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and stroke. Although the mechanisms involved in these associations are unknown, they are probably mediated by obstructive sleep apnea. Nevertheless, most snorers do not have sleep apnea.

[Snoring: diagnostic criteria and treatment].

Snoring is a significant problem with social and medical manifestations. After snoring has been confirmed, other nocturnal respiratory diseases should be excluded so that the appropriate treatment can be instituted. This chapter addresses the current management of snoring and its treatment.

Molecular markers in lung cancer: prognostic role and relationship to smoking.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer. Although most lung cancer cases are linked to smoking, only a minority of heavy smokers develop lung cancer, leading to the notion that genetic factors affect individual susceptibility. The principal molecular changes in lung cancer are seen in tumor suppressor genes, proto-oncogenes, growth factors, telomerase activity, and methylation status of promoters.