Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as rescue therapy for pediatric frosted branch angiitis with Purtscher-like retinopathy: A case report.

Introduction: Frosted branch angiitis (FBA) is an uncommon uveitis characterized by fulminant retinal vasculitis. Purtscher-like retinopathy (PuR) is a rare retinal angiopathy associated with a non-traumatic etiology. Both FBA and PuR can cause profound visual impairments.

Degree of convexity calculated from expiratory flow-volume curves for identifying airway obstruction in nonsedated and nonparalyzed ventilated patients.

The predictive performance of applying the degree of convexity in expiratory flow-volume (EFV) curves to detect airway obstruction in ventilated patients has yet to be investigated. We enrolled 33 nonsedated and nonparalyzed mechanically ventilated patients and found that the degree of convexity had a significant negative correlation with FEV% predicted. The mean degree of convexity in EFV curves in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) group (n = 18) was significantly higher than that in the non-COPD group (n = 15; 26.

Budesonide/Formoterol Anti-Inflammatory Reliever and Maintenance or Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol Plus As-Needed, Short-Acting β Agonist: Real-World Effectiveness in pAtients without Optimally Controlled asThma (REACT) Study.

Introduction: In the prospective, observational, 16-week REACT study conducted between October 21, 2008 and May 12, 2011, we compared the real-world effectiveness of anti-inflammatory reliever and maintenance therapy with budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort Turbuhaler) and maintenance therapy with fixed-dose fluticasone/salmeterol (Seretide) plus as-needed, short-acting β agonists (SABAs) in Taiwanese patients with inadequate asthma control.

Methods: Asthma control was assessed using the five-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5) and standardized pulmonary function testing. Assessments were performed at baseline and at weeks 4-5 and 12-16.

Antibody blockade of Dectin-2 suppresses house dust mite-induced Th2 cytokine production in dendritic cell- and monocyte-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cell co-cultures from asthma patients.

Background: Dectin-2, which is a C-type lectin, interacts with the house dust mite (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen. This study aimed to investigate whether Dectin-2 blockade by antagonistic monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) attenuates HDM-induced allergic responses.

Methods: Two anti-Dectin-2 MoAbs were generated and validated for specific binding to Dectin-2 Fc fusion protein (Dectin-2.

Post-intensive care unit respiratory failure in older patients liberated from intensive care unit and ventilator: The predictive value of the National Early Warning Score on intensive care unit discharge.

Aim: The older adult population is continuously growing worldwide and there is increasing use of medical recourse in older patients, especially for those requiring intensive care unit (ICU) care and mechanical ventilation (MV). The present study aimed to investigate the burden and predictors of post-ICU respiratory failure in older ICU patients weaned from MV.

Methods: In the present retrospective study, older ICU patients aged ≥60 years, who were successfully weaned from MV and discharged to the general ward from the ICU of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, in 2011, were included.

Serum decoy receptor 3 is a biomarker for disease severity in nonatopic asthma patients.

Background/purpose: Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), a soluble receptor of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is a pleiotropic immunomodulator. The aim of this study was to investigate serum DcR3 levels in atopic and nonatopic asthma patients.

Methods: The serum DcR3 levels of 70 adults with asthma and 20 healthy controls were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Synergistic impact of acute kidney injury and high level of cervical spinal cord injury on the weaning outcome of patients with acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Respiratory neuromuscular impairment severity is known to predict weaning outcome among patients with cervical spinal cord injury; however, the impact of non-neuromuscular complications remains unexplored. This study was to evaluate possible neuromuscular and non-neuromuscular factors that may negatively impact weaning outcome.

Methods: From September 2002 to October 2012, acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury patients who had received mechanical ventilation for >48h were enrolled and divided into successful (n=54) and unsuccessful weaning groups (n=19).

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an effective adjunctive treatment for chronic Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States, but it is relatively rare in Taiwan. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotic agents, but approximately 20% of these patients experience persistent or intermittent subjective symptoms, so-called chronic Lyme disease (CLD). The mechanisms of CLD remain unclear and the symptoms related to CLD are difficult to manage.

Intensive care unit-acquired bacteremia in mechanically ventilated patients: clinical features and outcomes.

Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired bacteremia (IAB) is associated with high medical expenditure and mortality. Mechanically ventilated patients represent one third of all patients admitted to ICU, but the clinical features and outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients who develop IAB remain unknown. We conducted a 3-year retrospective observational cohort study, and 1,453 patients who received mechanical ventilation on ICU admission were enrolled.

Impact and predictors of prolonged chest tube duration in mechanically ventilated patients with acquired pneumothorax.

Background: Prolonged chest tube duration is less well studied in patients who are supported by mechanical ventilation and have acquired pneumothorax. We investigated the impact of prolonged chest tube duration on patient outcomes and the risk factors associated with prolonged chest tube duration.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 106 ventilated subjects who had been treated with thoracostomy for pneumothorax between May 2004 and December 2011.

Synergistic impact of low serum albumin on intensive care unit admission and high blood urea nitrogen during intensive care unit stay on post-intensive care unit mortality in critically ill elderly patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

Aims: To identify intensive care unit (ICU) risk factors for post-ICU 6-month (PI6M) mortality in critically ill elderly patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV).

Methods: The present study was a retrospective observational study carried out in a respiratory ICU from December 2008 to December 2009. Medical records of patients aged ≥70 years and receiving MV were reviewed.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an adjunctive treatment for sternal infection and osteomyelitis after sternotomy and cardiothoracic surgery.

Purpose: A retrospective study to evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy on sternal infection and osteomyelitis following median sternotomy.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who received sternotomy and cardiothoracic surgery which developed sternal infection and osteomyelitis between 2002 and 2009. Twelve patients who received debridement and antibiotic treatment were selected, and six of them received additional HBO2 therapy.

Acute kidney injury on ventilator initiation day independently predicts prolonged mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the predictors for prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) of more than 21 days among intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Material And Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in a respiratory ICU from December 2008 to November 2009. The outcome measurement was the occurrence of PMV.

Comparisons of predictive performance of breathing pattern variability measured during T-piece, automatic tube compensation, and pressure support ventilation for weaning intensive care unit patients from mechanical ventilation.

Objective: To investigate the influence of different ventilatory supports on the predictive performance of breathing pattern variability for extubation outcomes in intensive care unit patients.

Design And Setting: A prospective measurement of retrospectively analyzed breathing pattern variability in a medical center.

Patients: Sixty-eight consecutive and ready-for-weaning patients were divided into success (n=45) and failure (n=23) groups based on their extubation outcomes.

Rapid shallow breathing index and its predictive accuracy measured under five different ventilatory strategies in the same patient group.

The rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) is commonly used clinically for predicting the outcome of weaning from mechanical ventilation. We compared the RSBI and its predictive accuracies measured under 5 ventilatory strategies before weaning trials. Ninety-eight patients were included and divided into successful (n=71) and failed (n=27) groups based on their weaning outcomes.

Assessment of myocardial injury in the emergency department independently predicts the short-term poor outcome in patients with severe carbon monoxide poisoning receiving mechanical ventilation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Objectives: Patients with severe carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning are often prone to unconsciousness and respiratory distress and as a result will receive mechanical ventilation and hyperbaric oxygen (MV-HBO) therapy. Factors associated with poor outcome at discharge are less defined in this patient population. This study was conducted to identify the prognostic predictors of short-term poor outcome in severely CO-poisoned patients receiving MV-HBO therapy.

Characteristic features and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome found in severe acute respiratory syndrome intensive care unit patients.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify characteristic clinical features and outcomes of critically ill patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study enrolled all patients admitted to a 12-bed SARS intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary care medical center in Taipei between May 15 and July 17, 2003. Patients with positive results of either reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction or antibody to SARS coronavirus were defined as SARS cases and others with negative results as control cases.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for cesarean section wound in diabetes mellitus gravida.

We report the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to treat the complication of necrotizing fasciitis following Cesarean section in a postpartum gravida with diabetes mellitus. Our patient was a 25-year-old, gravida 1, para 1, woman with a history of type 1 diabetes mellitus since the age of 18. The patient experienced preterm labor at 31+1 gestational weeks and was treated with magnesium sulfate for tocolytic therapy.

Clinical assessment of propofol-induced yawning with heart rate variability: a pilot study.

Study Objectives: To investigate the proportion of propofol-induced yawning and sympathovagal balance during propofol-induced yawning.

Design: Prospective, observational, clinical study.

Setting: University hospital and 2400-bed tertiary medical center.

Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and psychological adaptation of the nurses in a structured SARS caring unit during outbreak: a prospective and periodic assessment study in Taiwan.

To assess the rapidly changing psychological status of nurses during the acute phase of the 2003 SARS outbreak, we conducted a prospective and periodic evaluation of psychiatric morbidity and psychological adaptation among nurses in SARS units and non-SARS units. Nurse participants were from two SARS units (regular SARS [N=44] and SARS ICU [N=26]) and two non-SARS units (Neurology [N=15] and CCU [N=17]). Participants periodically self-evaluated their depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, sleep disturbance, attitude towards SARS and family support.

Asthma control in adults in Asia-Pacific.

Objective: The Asthma Insights and Reality in Asia-Pacific (AIRIAP) survey collected detailed information on asthma severity and management in the urban centres of eight areas of the Asia-Pacific region. This study compared asthma morbidity and management practices in these areas.

Methodology: Following recruitment, face-to-face interviews were completed with 2323 adults with diagnosed asthma, who had current symptoms or were using asthma medication.

Pneumothorax and mortality in the mechanically ventilated SARS patients: a prospective clinical study.

Introduction: Pneumothorax often complicates the management of mechanically ventilated severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients in the isolation intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to determine whether pneumothoraces are induced by high ventilatory pressure or volume and if they are associated with mortality in mechanically ventilated SARS patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, clinical study.

Clinical features and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome and predictive factors for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infectious disease, and indeed, the SARS epidemic in Taiwan from March to July 2003 had a great impact. This study depicts the clinical characteristics and short-term outcomes of patients with SARS treated at Taipei Veterans General Hospital; potential predictive factors for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are also analyzed.

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed data for 67 SARS patients, who were grouped according to whether or not ARDS developed during the clinical course of SARS.

Instability of spontaneous breathing patterns in patients with persistent vegetative state.

We investigated the breathing patterns of 27 patients in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) and 15 normal control volunteers. During the baseline period breathing air, 15 patients (the PVS-IB) exhibited irregular breathing (IB), whereas the other 12 (the PVS-OB) displayed oscillatory breathing (OB). Both groups maintained an average value for tidal volume (V(T)), total breath duration (T(TOT)), minute ventilation (V (E)), oxygen saturation (SpO2) similar to the control, but the PVS-OB displayed significantly lower end-tidal CO2 tension (P(ET)CO2) than the control.

Breathing pattern variability: a weaning predictor in postoperative patients recovering from systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Objective: To investigate whether breathing pattern variability can serve as a potential weaning predictor for postoperative patients recovering from systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Design And Setting: A prospective measurement of retrospectively analyzed breathing pattern variability in a surgical intensive care unit.

Patients: Seventy-eight mechanically ventilated SIRS patients who had undergone abdominal surgery were included when they were ready for weaning.