Standardization of Sonographic Diaphragm Thickness Evaluations in Healthy Volunteers.

Background: B-mode ultrasound can be used to measure diaphragm thickness at the zone of apposition. We believe it is necessary to develop normal values for diaphragm thickness at rest in a large group of healthy subjects and compare them with international results.

Methods: Ultrasound measurements of diaphragm thickness at expiratory rest were taken in 109 healthy individuals, with results stratified by sex, body mass index, and thorax circumference.

Treatment of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage secondary to lupus erythematosus with recombinant activated factor VII administered with a jet nebulizer.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a serious pulmonary complication in patients with autoimmune diseases who are undergoing chemotherapy or have had hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The use of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) to treat the acute phase of DAH by endobronchial bronchoscopy has been shown to have a significant clinical impact on the survival and evolution of these patients. We report a clinical case of a patient with DAH secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who was treated with rFVIIa administered using a jet nebulizer, obtaining an adequate hemostatic effect with immediate control of DAH and a significant improvement in gas exchange.