Ventilation-perfusion relationships in pulmonary arterial hypertension: effect of intravenous and inhaled prostacyclin treatment.

Unlabelled: In seven patients with idiopathic or secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), ventilation-perfusion (V (A)/Q ) relationships were measured during a right heart catheterization using the multiple inert-gas elimination technique before and during intravenous infusion with epoprostenol (EPO), and following 5 months of 20 microg inhaled iloprost taken three times daily (ILO). Pre-treatment pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was 9.3+/-5.

Temporal changes in whole-blood and plasma glutathione in ICU patients with multiple organ failure.

Objective: This study investigated the temporal changes in whole-blood and plasma glutathione in ICU patients with multiple organ failure.

Design And Setting: Prospective and descriptive pilot study performed in an ICU with eight beds at a university hospital.

Patients: Critically ill patients (n=11) with multiple organ failure and ICU stay of at least 6 days were consecutively included.

Renal function in hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: effects of long-term oxygen treatment.

Unlabelled: Impaired renal function is an important cause for the oedema formation, which often occurs in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present study, the importance of nocturnal hypoxaemia (measured by a nocturnal pulse oximetry) for the renal function was determined in 19 COPD patients, with normal levels of serum creatinine. The effects on kidney function of alleviating the nocturnal hypoxaemia [using 6 months of long-term oxygen treatment (LTOT)], was assessed in 12 patients.

Relationship between lung function, ventilation-perfusion inequality and extent of emphysema as assessed by high-resolution computed tomography.

Unlabelled: The development of the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) has improved the ability to detect and quantify emphysema in various groups of patients with chronic airflow obstruction (COPD). Significant correlations have previously been found between indices of air flow obstruction, hyperinflation, reduced diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and the extent of emphysema (emph.%) assessed by HRCT.