[Variability of cardiac rate in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea].

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by repeated breathing pauses caused by upper airway collapse during sleep, leading to intermittent hypoxemia, sleep fragmentation and autonomic dysfunction. The gold standard for the treatment of OSAHS is ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Aim: To study the effect of CPAP on autonomic dysfunction in patients OSAHS, by assessing the heart rate variability (HRV) parameters before the initiation of CPAP and under CPAP during the first week and at 3 months.

Body composition in obstructive sleep apneahypopnea syndrome bio-impedance reflects the severity of sleep apnea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by repeated breathing pauses during sleep and is closely associated with obesity. Body fat is known to be a predictive factor for OSAHS and its severity.

Aim: To study the correlation between the severity of OSAHS and body composition measurements.

[Pre-test probability of obstructive sleep apnea].

The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a condition characterized by repeated breathing pauses during sleep and associated with sleep fragmentation, intermittent hypoxia and increased, cardiovascular risk. The diagnosis of OSAS requires polysomnography, an expensive and time consuming technique, which still represents the gold-standard method. Several predictive mathematical models have been developed for the prediction of OSAS.

[Physiologic responses to walking and cycling in patients with chronic bronchial obstruction].

Introduction: In patients with bronchial obstruction, desaturation is more important during walking than cycling. For other effort parameters, studies report conflicting data.

Objective: Comparing different responses (desaturation, tachycardia, tachypnea, dyspnea) to the 6 minutes walking test (WT6) and to cycling at 25 watts for 10 minutes (CT) in patients with COPD or asthma and assessing the correlation between these responses and functional parameters at rest.

[Preoperative rehabilitation in the surgical treatment of lung cancer].

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of preoperative rehabilitation on operability and postoperative outcome in patients with lung cancer.

Methods: We studied retrospectively 27 patients who underwent respiratory rehabilitation for 4 weeks prior to lung cancer resection and 26 patients who were operated without previous rehabilitation (control group). Spirometry, arterial blood gases, and exercise tests with maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) were assessed pre and postoperatively.

[Respiratory manifestations in von Recklinghausen's disease].

The neurofibromatosis type I (NF I, von Recklinghausen's disease) is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder with systemic involvement. The respiratory manifestations include: chest wall deformities, upper airway obstruction by neurofibromas, parenchymal neurogenic tumours, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic lung disease, primary pulmonary hypertension, central hypoventilation, diaphragm paralysis. We present 4 cases of NF I associated with chronic respiratory diseases.