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Biomedical subjects

B Buyse

Publications and source records attributed to B Buyse.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Treatment of chronic respiratory failure in kyphoscoliosis: oxygen or ventilation?

Patients with kyposcoliosis and chronic respiratory insufficiency are treated either with home oxygen therapy or ventilation. Kyphoscoliotic patients demonstrate impaired ventilatory mechanics, consequently ventilation seems to be the treatment of choice. Yet, no randomised controlled trials (CRT) exist to prove it. Most investigators find it difficult to ethically justify a CRT. Therefore, the current authors performed the following retrospective study: survival and pulmonary function were analysed in all consecutive kyphoscoliotic patients who started long-term oxygen therapy (LTO group; n=15, aged 62+/-11 yrs (mean+/-SD)) or LTO plus nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (nNIPPV group; n=18, aged 61+/-7 yrs) in the Dept of Pulmonology (University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven) between 1990-2002. Prior to treatment partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) was lower, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) tended to be higher and vital capacity (VC) tended to be lower in the nNIPPV group than in the LTO group (PO2 5.9+/-1 versus 6.7+/-0.9 kPa (44+/-8 versus 50+/-7 mmHg), PCO2 8+/-1 versus 7.3+/-0.9 kPa (60+/-8 versus 55+/-7 mmHg), VC 32+/-12 versus 40+/-16% predicted, or 645+/-244 versus 970+/-387 mL). In the nNIPPV group the 1-yr survival was higher (100% versus 66%). nNIPPV patients demonstrated an improvement in PO2 (breathing air) +54%, PCO2 (breathing air) -21%, VC +47% and maximal static inspiratory mouth pressure +33%; these improvements were absent in the LTO group. In conclusion, nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation, plus long-term oxygen therapy results in more favourable survival and changes in blood gases and respiratory function than long-term oxygen therapy alone.

Carbon Dioxide↗

Cyclophosphamide rescue therapy for chronic rejection after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Obliterative bronchiolitis remains the leading cause of late mortality after heart-lung and lung transplantation. Although several treatment options have been advocated, none has proven to be very successful. Cyclophosphamide is effective in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic rejection after lung transplantation is also a fibroproliferative process. We therefore conducted an open, uncontrolled study to look at the effect of cyclophosphamide rescue therapy in the treatment of chronic rejection in lung transplant recipients. METHODS: Between October 1996 and March 1998 cyclophosphamide was prescribed to 7 patients with chronic and persistent rejection who failed to respond to conventional therapy (pulse steroids or antilymphocyte products or both). RESULTS: Cyclophosphamide therapy was initiated on postoperative day 478+/-366. At that time 2 patients were in bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome stage 0, 3 patients in stage 1, and 2 patients in stage 2. Their best postoperative forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was 2.19+/-0.75 L. Three months before the start of cyclophosphamide the FEV1 had declined to 1.90+/-0.83 L, with a further decline to 1.63+/-0.64 L at the time of initiating cyclophosphamide. In 6 of the 7 patients the FEV1 stabilized or increased after cyclophosphamide had been started (mean FEV1 3 and 6 months after cyclophosphamide of 1.77+/-0.58 L and 1.79+/-0.48 L, respectively). One patient died 18 months after the introduction of cyclophosphamide due to progressive obliterative bronchiolitis. In one patient cyclophosphamide had to be stopped because of persistent leucopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Cyclophosphamide might be a promising therapeutic alternative for the treatment of chronic persistent rejection after lung transplantation.

Adult↗

Respiratory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: a prospective analysis of 60 patients.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between pulmonary function, respiratory muscle function and neurological function in multiple sclerosis (MS). Sixty patients (27 males and 33 females) aged 27-75 yrs (mean +/- SD 48 +/- 12 yrs) were prospectively studied. The Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS; range 0-10) score was 6.5 +/- 1.5; and the different Functional Systems Scores (FSS; ranges 0-5 and 0-6) were: pyramidal 3.4 +/- 1.1; brain stem 1.9 +/- 1.2; mental 1.3 +/- 0.9; cerebellar 2.2 +/- 1.0; sphincter 1.8 +/- 1.5; visual 1.4 +/- 1.4; and sensory 2.0 +/- 1.5. Results of lung function tests were: vital capacity (VC) 80 +/- 23% of predicted; single-breath transfer factor of the lung for carbon monoxide (TL, CO, sb) 83 +/- 17% pred; maximal static expiratory mouth pressure (MEP) 30 +/- 16% pred; and maximal static inspiratory mouth pressure (MIP) 47 +/- 23% pred, indicating a marked respiratory muscle dysfunction, with a minor restrictive defect. In 70% of the patients, a transcutaneous oxygen saturation (Stc, O2) of less than 92% at night was found. Comparison of lung function and disability scores showed that the abnormalities in both tended to be correlated to each other, and that this was significant for EDSS versus lung volumes, for most FSS with VC, and also for some FSS with MEP and/or MIP. Duration of disease was significantly correlated with the EDSS, but not with the different FSS scores (with the exception of mental status) and not with lung function. Multiple sclerosis leads to lung function abnormalities attributable to respiratory pump dysfunction.

Adult↗

Relief of sleep apnoea after treatment of acromegaly: report of three cases and review of the literature.

Sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) is common in acromegalic patients. Occasionally, the relief of apnoeas after treatment of the acromegaly has been documented. We report the cases of three patients with acromegaly and severe obstructive sleep apnoea, who demonstrated a manifest improvement (respiratory disturbance index (RDI) <20) after treatment with octreotide, indicating that this drug may be effective in this disturbance. In one case, SAS disappeared although the growth hormone level was not fully normalized. This raises the intriguing hypothesis that octreotide has an effect on respiratory control or on the upper airway, that is not directly related to its action on production of growth hormone.

Acromegaly↗

Long-term oxygen therapy with concentrators and liquid oxygen.

The National Institute for Insurance of Disease and Disablement (RIZIV/INAMI) in Belgium reimburses the costs of long term oxygen therapy (LTOT) by concentrators since 1984 and by liquid oxygen since 1988 for specific categories of patients supervised by approved medical centers. Since then we prescribed these therapies for 83 patients (49 with COPD, 12 with lung fibrosis, 22 with miscellaneous diseases). Since 1984 40 concentrators were prescribed of which 34 have been installed and 11 were still operating in July 1992 at the end of the study: 12 patients died, 2 stopped LTOT and 10 switched to liquid oxygen. Since 1989 43 patients started with liquid oxygen systems, together with the 10 patients who switched from concentrators to liquid oxygen, thus 53 liquid oxygen systems had been described and 46 were still in use in July 1992: 5 patients died and 2 stopped LTOT. Patient characteristics at entry were: age 62 +/- 11 years (mean +/- 1SD), PaO2 50 +/- 6 mmHg, PaCO2 47 +/- 10 mmHg, polycythemia in 12%, clinical right heart failure in 47% and ECG signs of right ventricle hypertrophy in 70%. Two year survival was 75% for the whole group and 60% for the COPD patients. In patients with COPD improvement of PaO2 (on air) after 1 year of LTOT (+ 10 +/- 8 mmHg in survivors versus 0 +/- 6 mmHg in non-survivors) was significantly related to survival (p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Correlation between functional, radiological and anatomical abnormalities in upper airway obstruction (UAO) due to tracheal stenosis.

Few data are available on the relative sensitivity of different lung function tests in upper airway obstruction (UAO) and on the correlation of these tests with radiological estimations of tracheal stenosis. This paper is based on patients with a goiter or tracheal tumor and in healthy subjects breathing through rigid resistors, as well as on literature data. Lung function abnormalities present a specific pattern in UAO: this is characterised by a typical shape of the maximal flow-volume curve, a marked reduction in peakflow (PEF) and only minor changes in routine spirometry (e.g. FEV1, which thus tends to underestimate the stenosis). The clinical relevance of the lung function abnormalities in UAO can be estimated from their relationship with the exercise limitation: a moderate exercise limitation to about 60% pred is found if PEF is reduced to about 40% pred, and Raw is increased to about 600% pred (in which instance FEV1 is still 75% pred). This limitation grossly corresponds to a UAO of about 6 mm diameter. No good correlation is found between lung function abnormalities and the radiological stenosis (CT-scan or X-ray): CT-scan or X-ray are only moderately correlated with each other. Moreover, stenosis can be visualised through X-ray in only about 60% of the cases.

Adult↗

Isolated lung transplantation; initial experience at the University Hospitals Leuven. Leuven Lung Transplant Group.

Lung transplantation nowadays has become a therapeutic modality in the treatment of patients with a variety of end-stage lung diseases. Between July 1991 and December 1992, twelve patients received an isolated lung transplant (eight single lungs and four double lungs) at the University Hospitals of Leuven. The indication for transplantation was emphysema in five patients, pulmonary fibrosis in three, cystic fibrosis in three and primary pulmonary hypertension in one. There were four early, in-hospital deaths (30%): two from sepsis and multi-organ failure, one from anoxia following a bronchial dehiscence and another patient exsanguinated following stent insertion for a partial bronchial dehiscence. Three more patients have died during follow-up: two from chronic respiratory failure secondary to the development of obliterative bronchiolitis (one at 8 months and one at 17 months), and one from a late bronchovascular fistula 4 months following transplantation. The overall actuarial one and two year-survival was 50.0% and 41.6% respectively. All patients discharged from hospital were oxygen free with an improved lung function and exercise capacity. We conclude that lung transplantation is a viable therapeutic option for selected patients with end-stage, irreversible lung disease. In our experience, the bronchial anastomosis remains an important keystone in the early success. Lung transplantation provides a good quality of life in patients free from infection and rejection. Nevertheless, chronic rejection resulting in obliterative bronchiolitis is a major problem in long-term survivors.

Adult↗